As Pune gears up for civic elections, a familiar and pungent issue is back on the agenda: the city's failing waste management system. Residents are demanding concrete solutions from candidates, tired of promises that vanish faster than the morning's swept streets.
A Cycle of Cleanliness and Clutter
Every day in Pune follows a disheartening pattern. In the early hours, the city presents a managed facade. Streets are swept, and municipal garbage trucks make their rounds. However, by afternoon, this illusion shatters as trash mysteriously reappears on roadsides, riverbanks, and market areas.
Economist Sumita Kale, co-founder of the Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS), pinpoints the collapse to the period after 2020. She witnessed a previously functional model disintegrate, undoing years of community effort. "For over five years, we worked with the PMC, corporators, and NGOs to remove over 30 garbage containers, ensure door-to-door collection of segregated waste, and promote home composting," Kale explained. Much of that progress, she laments, was lost post-pandemic.
"Segregation is no longer insisted upon. Earlier chronic dumping spots are back. There is no enforcement, no penalties for littering, and no accountability," she stated, highlighting the breakdown in the four-corporator ward model.
Citizen Frustration and a Manifesto for Change
Frustrated by the systemic failure, Kale and the Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Group have drafted a citizens' manifesto for Prabhags 12 and 29. Supported by a poster campaign designed by resident and noted designer Falguni Gokhale, the message to candidates is clear: voters want "systems, accountability and outcomes" not freebies or short-term fixes.
This frustration is echoed across the city. Divyashree Kawatkar, a 20-year-old resident, calls the waste disposal inconsistent and poorly planned. "Garbage bins are not placed regularly. One dumping spot slowly becomes an informal ground," she said, singling out the Nadipatra area for its unhygienic conditions and river pollution.
Near the MaNaPa bus stop along the Mutha river, Abhirami Pillai notes the rampant dumping of religious waste like flowers wrapped in plastic. "I have rarely seen PMC workers cleaning the area. Even after community clean-ups, waste returns quickly because there are no surveillance or fines," she observed.
The Human Cost and Systemic Failure
The crisis impacts frontline workers and public safety. Pradnya Kamble, a PMC waste collection worker, described the hazards of handling unsegregated waste containing everything from dead animals to broken glass. While workers face disciplinary action for lapses, they often meet resistance when confronting citizens about illegal dumping.
Experts argue the burden cannot fall on citizens alone. Aarti Khatu, a Political Science professor at Fergusson College, identifies uneven implementation as the core issue. "Waste management cannot work if segregation and recycling are left to individuals. It must be managed at the housing society level with structured links to authorised recyclers," she asserted. With rising population density, she warns, the pressure on infrastructure is mounting, demanding urgent reform.
The consequences are starkly visible. Sushila Inamdar, a Narhe resident, links open dumping to an increase in stray dogs and pigs, creating public fear and road safety hazards. "Those seeking votes must first explain their strategy for handling waste and ensuring a safe city," she demanded.
The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) efforts in the annual Swachh rankings have yielded little success despite significant expenditure. The city's waste crisis is no longer about awareness but about enforcement, accountability, and building a system that lasts beyond the morning sweep.
