Pune, 3rd July 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) claims to conduct daily cleanliness drives, remove illegal flex boards, and clear overgrown vegetation. However, the ongoing 'Deep Clean' campaign has revealed a starkly different ground reality.
On the very first day of the drive, authorities collected 27 tonnes of wet and dry waste, 59 tonnes of construction debris, and 12 tonnes of fallen leaves and tree waste, raising questions about the actual effectiveness of the daily maintenance work carried out by regional offices.
After assuming charge, Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram had expressed dissatisfaction over the city's poor sanitation and visual pollution. In response, he announced a large-scale cleanliness campaign. A similar 'Deep Clean' mission had been conducted a few months ago, during which various departments such as solid waste management, anti-encroachment, signage, road works, and electrical teams came together to clean up the city.
At the time, the administration had assured that daily upkeep would continue, but within a few weeks, the city was back to being neglected. Despite routine operations, garbage, debris, and encroachments have continued to mar the city's appearance.
Under the Commissioner’s fresh directive, the new drive was launched simultaneously across all 15 regional offices from Monday. On day one alone, the drive uncovered large volumes of waste and encroachments along city roads. The effort involved 1,666 municipal employees, who also removed around 36 kilometers of overhead cables cluttering the city skyline.
Deputy Commissioners, Additional Commissioners, regional officers, and department heads actively participated in the campaign. Each regional office selected key roads within its jurisdiction, and the entire day's focus was dedicated to cleaning and clearing one major road per zone. The campaign is set to continue for several more days.
While the first day was carried out by municipal staff, volunteers and citizens will now be roped in for the ongoing effort. The initial results have cast doubt on PMC's earlier claims of regular cleanliness and enforcement, highlighting a need for stricter monitoring and sustained action across the city.