Residents and social activists have raised alarms over the growing garbage mismanagement crisis affecting the villages of Fursungi and Uruli Devachi near Pune.
Despite repeated complaints by citizens, local authorities and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) continue to ignore the hazardous conditions in which they are living, the locals allege.
Deepali Sardeshmukh, a social activist, said, "Fursungi is the largest garbage depot in Pune, where more than 300 tonnes of unprocessed, rejected waste from various areas is dumped daily. Though municipal guidelines state that wet waste must be processed within respective housing societies or local areas, the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) continues to transport and dump waste to the Fursungi depot, violating its policies."
Severe sanitation and health risks
Sardeshmukh added, "Villages within PMC limits are being overlooked when it comes to the implementation of local waste treatment projects. Instead, all the waste from across the city is being transported into Fursungi, putting an undue burden on the local population and the environment. Fursungi and Uruli Devachi were declared Nagar Parishads (municipal councils), raising public hopes for better infrastructure and cleaner living conditions. However, since the upgrade, the waste crisis has only worsened, with new dumping grounds appearing daily in streets, societies, and open spaces, causing severe sanitation and health risks."
“There’s a growing problem of the rise in mosquitoes and flies. Roads are lined with garbage heaps. Fires break out frequently at the dumping site, yet neither the PMC nor the Pollution Board has shown any urgency in addressing the matter,” said Namdev Tilak, a local resident.
Local residents have also reported that borewells and wells are becoming contaminated, which poses a risk to lives due to waterborne diseases. The vehicles and workforce responsible for garbage collection are being utilised for core Pune areas, leaving the Fursungi and Uruli localities to suffer unattended.
"The waste management planning of both PMC and the local Nagar Parishads is a complete failure. We urge the MPCB and state administrative bodies to take immediate and effective action to resolve the crisis," added Sardeshmukh.
PMC says this
Sandeep Kadam, head of the PMC's solid waste management, said, "A lot of people are holding a protest regarding garbage dumping and mismanagement of garbage segregation. We at our level are trying our best to manage the garbage collection and its disposal. I will send my team to Fursungi-Uruli to check the condition there."
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