Pune 12th June 2025: The closure of key waste processing facilities in Pune has intensified the pressure on the city’s already strained waste management system. The situation took a serious turn when the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) handed over the waste transfer site (ramp) at the Kothrud garbage depot to Mahametro, without first setting up an alternative transfer mechanism. As a result, the areas of Kothrud, Warje, and Karvenagar are facing mounting waste disposal challenges.
This abrupt decision has disrupted the waste collection, transfer, and processing cycle. Pune generates a large volume of daily waste, and the ongoing monsoon has further increased the quantity of wet waste. Citizens, who pay a 20% sanitation tax along with income tax and additional fees to ‘Swachh Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha’ for doorstep waste collection, are now facing deteriorating sanitation conditions. Civic activist Vivek Velankar, president of Sajag Nagrik Manch, has demanded an inquiry, citing a direct threat to public health.
Key waste processing units in Hadapsar and Dhayari have also been shut down, adding to the crisis. The 200-ton wet waste plant in Hadapsar has been non-operational for the last three weeks, while the 50-ton dry waste plant in Dhayari has remained closed for over a month due to a fire. As a result, the administration is struggling to manage 250 tons of untreated waste daily.
In the absence of the Kothrud transfer centre, around 125 waste collection vehicles now need to reroute to facilities at Aundh, Ghole Road, and Katraj. This redirection has led to delays in waste transportation and a rise in operational costs. The inefficiency is visibly reflected in the increasing waste piles across western Pune localities.
Public backlash and administrative embarrassment prompted PMC officials to contact Mahametro and request temporary access to the Kothrud site. In response, the Metro authorities agreed to return the land to the Municipal Corporation for a four-month period. However, activists warn that this is only a temporary fix, and without a permanent alternative system, the garbage crisis in Pune may worsen further.
The project at Hadapsar is closed for maintenance. It will start in eight days. The decision to give the land to Mahametro was made in 2018 itself. Accordingly, this land was given. The 'ramp' there will continue for four months until an alternative site is found.
Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department
