The residents of Pune are facing a garbage crisis across the city, as several waste processing plants have either shut down or are operating at below-capacity levels. The Hadapsar facility, which processes 200 tonnes of wet waste daily, has been closed for the past three weeks, while the Dhayari plant, handling 50 tonnes of dry waste, has been non-operational for over a month. Additionally, the Sus waste processing unit, with a capacity of 200 tonnes, is currently operating at only half its capacity.
Social activist Vivek Velankar said, “Residents are raising concerns over the city’s waste management as it not only contributes to pollution but is also posing serious health hazards. The sudden handover of the garbage ramp at Vanaz has worsened the waste transportation system. Until recently, 125 garbage trucks from Kothrud, Warje and Karvenagar areas were offloaded at the Vanaz ramp. But with its closure, these trucks are now redirected to the Ghole Road and Katraj ramps. This has increased travel distances, added pressure on existing ramps and doubled the unloading time, resulting in fewer trips and accumulated garbage in the affected areas.”
He urged that authorities should take immediate action and conduct an inquiry into the decision to hand over the Vanaz ramp to the Metro project without setting up an alternative arrangement. “Citizens already pay a 20% sanitation tax in their property bills, in addition to charges for doorstep garbage collection. Cleanliness is a basic civic right, not a favour,” he emphasised.
Soumya Sharma, a resident of Katraj, said, “Garbage is everywhere, no matter where you go. Also, nowadays, the collection of garbage is not happening daily in our area, and during the monsoons, the entire Pune-Bangalore highway or southern Pune is filled with garbage all over. After every 1–2 km, a heap of garbage can be seen. During monsoons, the situation becomes even worse. We urge authorities to take care of the garbage.”
Sashibala Pandey, a resident of Porwal Road in Lohegaon, highlighted, “The entire Porwal Road has become a dumping yard with garbage littered everywhere. We have complained to the PMC a hundred times. They come and take the garbage away, but the next day, people dump the garbage at the same spot. The civic body should not just clean the spots, but also they should keep a strict check on the defaulters.”
Rohan Patil, an IT professional and a resident of Aundh, said, “The highways are filled with garbage, and authorities are not even taking care of it. Pune is facing a garbage crisis, and authorities should also come up with more processing units as the population is expanding rapidly.”
The original Kothrud garbage depot was relocated to Uruli Devachi and Fursungi a few years ago, and its land was allocated to Metro for depot construction. However, even after the garbage depot was shut down, the municipal corporation retained a 30-guntha waste transfer ramp at the site, which served as a collection point for wet and dry waste from the Warje-Karve Nagar area. Around 185 tonnes of garbage were gathered daily through small and large collection vehicles before being sent for processing.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department, PMC, said, “A few waste processing units will be restarted soon. Vadgaon Dhayari’s 50-tonne waste processing facility, which was damaged due to a fire, is currently under maintenance and is expected to reopen soon. Additionally, the Hadapsar wet waste processing plant, with a 200-tonne daily capacity, will be restarted, as the final stages of project work are nearing completion.”
