A major civic crisis has erupted in the heart of Pune Camp, where mounting piles of uncollected garbage at the bustling Clover Centre on Moledina Road have sparked a fierce two-week standoff between occupants and the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB). The rotting waste, accumulating near JJ Garden and the surrounding lanes, has raised alarm among traders, residents, and daily visitors over hygiene and public safety.
Root of the Conflict: Segregation and a Plant Shutdown
The dispute centers on the critical issue of waste segregation. PCB officials state that the crisis intensified in October when the Hadapsar industrial estate garbage processing plant, operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), refused to accept approximately 50 tonnes of daily waste from the cantonment area. The PMC attributed this refusal to unsegregated waste originating from Clover Centre, which allegedly caused technical snags and forced a three-day shutdown of the processing unit.
PCB Chief Executive Officer Vidyadhar Pawar told the media that despite repeated appeals and several meetings with residents and shopkeepers of the commercial complex to segregate their dry and wet waste, no tangible improvement was seen on the ground. He refuted allegations that the board demanded extra fees for collection, clarifying, "We do not intend to charge anything additional. Garbage collection is our responsibility... The occupants can hand over the waste to a private agency if they do not need our service — but dumping it on the road is unacceptable."
Notices, Fines, and Escalating Tensions
In a move that deepened the deadlock, the PCB issued a formal notice on November 28, directing establishments within Clover Centre to pay charges for segregated waste collection as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. This notice followed an earlier communication sent on November 21.
The PCB's assessment detailed that 20 establishments were charged Rs 500 each, while 65 units fell under the Rs 50 category, culminating in a total payable amount of Rs 1,05,750. The board insisted that the dues must be deposited immediately for regular waste collection services to resume. Occupants, however, expressed confusion over this sudden imposition of charges.
Occupants Fight Back, Seek MP's Intervention
Frustrated by the growing mounds of trash, residents and shopowners of one of Camp's oldest commercial complexes have approached Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol with a formal complaint. They accused the PCB of discontinuing the decades-old garbage collection service since mid-October and demanding "exaggerated" additional charges.
The complaint alleged that despite their requests, PCB officials issued retaliatory notices and fines while refusing to clear the waste, which is now blocking access roads and posing a significant fire and health hazard. "We have alerted the fire department and the police that emergency vehicles cannot reach the premises because of accumulated refuse," they stated in the letter.
The society also made serious allegations against the cantonment's hygiene staff, accusing them of deliberately diverting garbage from neighbouring areas to dump behind the complex and stopping drain cleaning work as a "pressure tactic." They further highlighted an illegal juice stall with permanent utility connections encroaching along the JJ Garden wall, which they claim the PCB has ignored.
The overflowing waste along the busy lane near JJ Garden now presents a severe civic eyesore and health risk in a prime area that attracts hundreds daily. Both sides blame miscommunication and poor coordination for the impasse, but all agree that an immediate resolution is crucial to prevent further deterioration of public spaces in the heart of Pune.
