Pune Airport's Safety at Risk Due to Meat Waste Dumping, PMC Fails to Act Decisively
In Brief:
Meat waste near Pune airport is attracting birds and dogs, posing serious risks to flight safety.
PMC departments are passing the buck, one issues fines, the other avoids cancelling licenses.
Despite fines and clean-up drives, illegal dumping continues, with no strict enforcement in place.
Pune, 24 July 2025: Vendors of chicken and mutton in areas around Pune airport, including Lohegaon, Vishrantwadi, Kalvadvasti, Wagholi, and Viman Nagar, are repeatedly dumping meat waste in open areas. This waste attracts a large number of stray animals, especially dogs and birds, significantly increasing the risk of bird hits and other aviation-related hazards.
While the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Department has taken limited steps by issuing notices and collecting fines, it does not have the authority to cancel vendor licenses. That responsibility lies with PMC’s Veterinary Department, which has been avoiding direct action. The result is an administrative stalemate where both departments blame each other, allowing violations to continue unchecked.
Even though 24 vendors have been fined a total of ₹25,000 for illegal waste dumping, the problem persists. Vendors continue to dump waste, particularly at night, near the airport zone. Meanwhile, no license cancellations have been executed despite multiple violations.
Authorities typically act only when VIP visits are scheduled, taking temporary clean-up measures rather than implementing permanent solutions. The issue has been ongoing, with PMC showing little urgency until media reports highlighted the matter.
Central Minister Murlidhar Mohol recently took notice of the problem and directed the PMC, airport authorities, and traffic police to implement stricter and lasting measures. Following his intervention, some additional actions have been taken, including daily cleanliness efforts on VIP roads and awareness campaigns to discourage dumping.
SWM Department head Sandeep Kadam stated that while fines and notices have been issued, they have also informed the Veterinary Department to verify licenses and take action where needed.
Meanwhile, in Wagholi, the local vegetable market has become another dumping hotspot. The waste there also attracts birds, further endangering air traffic. In response, over 250 workers from PMC's 15 regional offices have been deployed to tackle the problem. However, unless licensing enforcement is pursued seriously, the core issue is likely to remain unresolved.
