The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has intensified its sanitation drive across the city, with daily garbage collection increasing from around 550 tonnes to about 700 tonnes.The civic body has launched round-the-clock operations to improve waste management and cleanliness.Municipal Commissioner Bikramjit Singh Shergill recently said sanitation teams were now working in three shifts — including night shifts — to ensure timely lifting and transportation of garbage from various parts of the city.The expanded operations are part of a broader effort to tackle the mounting waste problem, and improve overall sanitation in Amritsar.The Municipal Commissioner urged residents, traders, shopkeepers and street vendors not to throw garbage on roads, streets or other public places.He added that, while the municipal corporation had significantly strengthened its waste collection mechanism, maintaining cleanliness in the city required active citizen cooperation.“Sanitation workers are working tirelessly under difficult conditions to keep the city clean. Their efforts will yield better results only when the public also plays its part by disposing of waste responsibly,” he said.The Municipal Commissioner appreciated the dedication of municipal sanitation staff engaged in sweeping streets, collecting garbage and transporting waste to disposal sites across the city.According to officials, the introduction of continuous operations in three shifts has helped speed up garbage lifting, particularly from busy markets and densely populated localities where waste generation is high.Shergill appealed to religious institutions, non-governmental organisations and social groups to play an active role in spreading awareness about proper waste disposal practices. Stressing the importance of waste segregation, he urged citizens to separate wet and dry waste at the household and commercial levels so that it can be processed more efficiently.Officials said such citizen-MC cooperation would not only reduce the burden on sanitation workers, but also help improve waste processing and recycling mechanisms in the city.For the convenience of residents, the municipal corporation has activated toll-free helpline number 18002035850, through which citizens can register complaints related to the non-collection of garbage, sanitation lapses or other civic issues.The complaints received on the helpline will be addressed promptly by the sanitation teams concerned.The MC Commissioner expressed confidence that, with sustained efforts by the civic body and active support from residents, Amritsar could significantly improve its sanitation standards and emerge among the cleanest cities in the country.He said maintaining cleanliness was a shared responsibility, adding that collective participation was essential to achieve a garbage-free city.