Pune, 11th July 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) collected 271.841 metric tonnes of waste from the Palkhi route, devotees' halt locations and other high-footfall areas during the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi procession on Thursday.
The civic body carried out an extensive cleanliness drive throughout the day to keep the route clean for lakhs of Warkaris.
Under its 'Pune Pratham – Sevawari 2026' initiative, the PMC's Solid Waste Management Department deployed 1,120 sanitation workers and formed dedicated teams to clean halt points, rest areas, community meal locations and the procession route.
Of the total waste collected, 54.462 metric tonnes was wet waste, while 217.379 metric tonnes was dry waste. The collected waste included plastic, packaging material, disposable plates, water bottles and other solid waste generated during the event.
Among the civic wards, Kasba Peth recorded the highest collection at 102.55 metric tonnes, followed by Nagar Road-Wadgaonsheri (50.30 metric tonnes), Warje-Karvenagar (42.025 metric tonnes) and Vishrambaugwada (21.97 metric tonnes). Other regional offices also reported significant waste collection.
However, the reported figures have raised eyebrows in the Shivajinagar-Ghole Road ward, which includes some of the busiest sections of the Palkhi route. The palanquins pass through Patil Estate, Shivajinagar, Gopal Krishna Gokhale Road and Deccan Gymkhana, while thousands of Warkaris also walk along Jangli Maharaj Road.
These stretches witness heavy crowds, large-scale food distribution and elaborate rangoli decorations every year. Despite this, the civic body reported collecting only 2.84 metric tonnes of waste from the Shivajinagar-Ghole Road ward, prompting questions over whether waste collection in the area was carried out comprehensively.
PMC Deputy Commissioner Santosh Warule said the Solid Waste Management Department maintained continuous monitoring throughout the day to ensure that devotees had a clean environment and that no hygiene or sanitation-related issues arose along the Palkhi route.