Pune's Blue Ridge Township Residents Despair Over Mounting Illegal Waste Dump
In Pune's bustling Hinjewadi area, less than 500 meters from the prestigious Blue Ridge Township, a stark contradiction unfolds daily. A blue signboard erected by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) on Maan Road sternly warns in Marathi against dumping garbage or debris, threatening legal action. Yet, directly behind this very sign lies a sprawling, illegal dump—a chaotic mountain of household waste, hotel refuse, and construction debris that mocks the official directive.
Residents' Pleas Fall on Deaf Ears
Over 12,000 residents living in approximately 4,800 flats within Blue Ridge Township have grown increasingly frustrated with the persistent apathy from authorities. In the past year alone, they have sent more than 60 emails to various government bodies, including the PMRDA and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), pleading for intervention. However, aside from empty promises and bureaucratic buck-passing, not a single scrap of waste has been removed. The community now feels abandoned, forced to confront the resulting land, air, and water pollution without any institutional support.
Retired government officer Akash Bokade, 63, has seen his post-retirement life transform into a relentless mission to secure basic necessities—fresh water and clean air—for his township. "Every night until dawn, trucks arrive from all over, laden with waste and debris, to dump on this plot," he explains. "We contacted the landowner, who denied giving any permission. Now, people have even started releasing sewage water into the nullah that flows through the plot and joins the Mula river. Blue Ridge relies on this river for drinking and other water needs, as a pipeline project with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation remains pending."
Authorities Shirk Responsibility
Recently, residents approached Senior Police Inspector Balaji Pandhare of the Hinjewadi police station, who dispatched a patrol van to the site one night last week. "But the culprits likely got wind of it—there was no dumping that day," Bokade notes. "How can we have police there constantly? The responsible authorities are PMRDA, MPCB, and the gram panchayats of Hinjewadi and Maan. Yet, beyond a few MPCB staff visiting earlier, nothing has changed."
Anirudha Karandikar, a 55-year-old AI advisor who has resided in the society for three years, points out that open spaces in the area have historically been used for dumping. However, he attributes the alarming surge to exponential construction activity in Hinjewadi and nearby villages, coupled with a lack of adequate monitoring. "In the last year, it's all construction debris—mounds upon mounds of cement and other detritus," he says. "The area has become a lawless dumping ground, with no authority willing to take charge as multiple agencies shamelessly abdicate responsibility."
Karandikar adds that the stench is overwhelming, and waste contaminating the Mula river degrades water quality despite multiple treatments, worsening in summer. "The financial burden on our society for this is enormous, not to mention the health costs," he emphasizes.
Waste Woes in an IT Hub
Hinjewadi, known for its diverse and high-quality food and beverage establishments driven by a cosmopolitan workforce, faces a paradox. The proliferation of eateries without proper waste management mechanisms exacerbates the problem. Narayan Ner, a 58-year-old former IT engineer turned real estate consultant, observes that the volume and nature of food waste clearly indicate commercial origins. "The gram panchayats claim to have sewage treatment and solid waste management plants, but they refuse inspection when asked," he states. "MPCB must intervene. Riverbeds must be protected from construction debris, as waste in eco-sensitive zones causes irreversible damage and pollutes river water."
Vijay Patil, a 47-year-old director at a data science company, reveals that private contractors tasked with disposing of solid waste from high-rises and establishments often burn it on open plots to cut costs. "With plastic, rubber, metal, and organic waste burning together, the stench can be so strong it wakes us at night," he shares. "Breathing this toxic smoke daily erodes our quality of life and shortens it. Imagine children and the elderly enduring this due to administrative inaction."
Bureaucratic Blame Game
When contacted, MPCB Sub-Regional Officer Navnath Awatade stated, "We have received the complaint and written to the Hinjewadi gram panchayat to take action. We will also send staff to visit the spot this week." However, Hinjewadi Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar countered, "These are private farmlands. When we advise against dumping, farmers assert their rights. Still, we visited last weekend and urged them not to allow it. Trash from our panchayat is properly disposed of by a contractor, but Blue Ridge Township is near Maan panchayat's boundary, so some waste may originate there. We've asked Maan to investigate. Ultimately, PMRDA is responsible for monitoring its limits, including checking STPs and debris dumping."
Madan Shelar, Village Development Officer of Maan Gram Panchayat, shifted responsibility to PMRDA, noting that skyscraper permissions were granted by PMRDA, not his office. "If MPCB believes waste is being dumped or burned, they should act against the guilty, not just write to us," he asserted.
Avinash Patil, Director of Town Planning at PMRDA, responded, "I need to check if the land is PMRDA-owned or private. Once our officials inspect the site and note the waste types, we will consult residents and take appropriate action."
Legal Violations and Broken Promises
The dumping blatantly violates the Sewage Waste Management Rules of 2016, which prohibit open dumping, burning waste, and mixing without segregation. When PMRDA grants permissions, it specifies waste disposal requirements, but many builders ignore these, opting for cheap local contractors to illegally dump waste.
Blue Ridge Township was once marketed as an "award-winning township" for "world citizens," boasting pristine air, clean river water, and self-sufficient infrastructure. Today, these amenities are vanishing, a consequence of unfulfilled promises and neglect of basic civic services, leaving residents to grapple with a deteriorating environment.
