Punawale Residents Ring Silent Protest Against Proposed PCMC Garbage Depot

On Sunday, residents of Punawale, in collaboration with the Pimpri-Chinchwad Cooperative Societies Federation (PCCSF), staged a silent bell-ringing protest against the proposed Solid Waste Management (SWM) Project Garbage depot by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

The objective of the protest was to draw attention to the grievances of Punawale residents regarding the impending SWM project, accusing the PCMC of consistently disregarding their concerns.

The protest is to "awaken the administration," according to the posters shared by the residents.

Sachin Londe, the Vice President of PCCSF, shared videos and images of the protest on social media platform X. Residents from Punawale, Marunji, Jambe, Hinjewadi, Tathawade, and Wakad actively participated in the silent demonstration.

Legal Notice to PCMC

Last month, the Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies Federation (PCHSF) issued a legal notice to PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh regarding the proposed solid waste management project. The notice was prompted by the civic body's moves to acquire land in Punawale for the garbage depot. Earlier in November, the residents protested with a bike rally and Chipko movement.

Held near Lotus Business School in Punawale from 10:00 am to 11:00 am, the protest aimed to address various apprehensions raised by Punawale residents concerning the SWM project. These concerns span sanitation, health-related issues, and observations of detrimental effects witnessed in Moshi, where a previous garbage depot was located.

The forest department currently possesses 22 hectares of land in Punawale under the jurisdiction of the PCMC. In 2008, this land was earmarked for a solid waste management project following a request from the civic body. The PCMC paid ₹3.5 crore to the forest department for the land and committed to providing an alternative 22 hectares. However, with no discernible efforts from the PCMC to acquire the land in the past 15 years, several residential projects, schools, and colleges have emerged in the proximity. The recent moves by PCMC to acquire the land for its second garbage depot have stirred unrest among area residents.