Closure of waste plants and handover of Kothrud depot land to Metro has worsened Pune’s garbage crisis, affecting Kothrud, Warje, and Karvenagar, causing delays, health risks, and rising public anger.
Pune | June 12, 2025: The closure of major waste processing projects and the handover of crucial waste management land to Mahametro has pushed several areas of Pune — including Kothrud, Warje, and Karvenagar — into a serious garbage crisis.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagarik Manch has raised concerns about the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) poor planning and decision-making. “Citizens pay a 20% cleanliness tax in their property tax and also pay Swachh Pune Seva Sahakari Sanstha for waste collection, yet their health is being endangered due to mismanagement,” Velankar said in a complaint to Municipal Commissioner Navalkishore Ram.
Currently, PMC is grappling with the disposal of over 250 tons of waste daily. The 200-ton capacity wet waste plant in Hadapsar has been shut for the past three weeks for maintenance, while a fire rendered the 50-ton dry waste plant in Dhayari non-functional for over a month.
The crisis escalated after PMC handed over about four acres of the Kothrud waste depot — including a key waste transfer ‘ramp’ — to Mahametro, without first developing an alternative site. This has severely disrupted waste transfer operations in western Pune.
Every day, 125 waste collection vehicles that once offloaded at Kothrud are now redirected to Aundh, Ghole Road, and Katraj. This has not only hiked transportation costs but also delayed garbage clearance, causing piles of uncollected waste to rot on the streets.
Velankar also criticized the city’s hollow claims of cleanliness. “Walls are painted with ‘Swachh Pune-Sundar Pune’, but the ground reality is ‘Swachh Pune–Kurup Pune’,” he stated.
Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department, Sandeep Kadam, clarified that the Kothrud ramp will operate for the next four months while an alternative is arranged. He also confirmed that the Hadapsar plant will be operational again in eight days.
However, the interim burden has left neighborhoods reeling under foul smells, mosquito infestations, and growing public resentment.
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