Pune: Residents living around the Hadapsar garbage depot say their suffering is no longer occasional; it is a daily reality. From morning to night, the air is filled with a foul stench, and thick smoke often hangs over the neighbourhood. Breathing feels heavy, as if the air itself has turned toxic. Windows remain shut throughout the day, children struggle with constant coughing, and elderly residents avoid stepping outside for fear of falling ill. What was once an inconvenience has now become a serious threat to everyday life.
People from St Patrick’s Town, Sopan Baug, Uday Baug, BT Kawade Road and Magarpatta say this has been their reality for years, and they believe it is now taking a serious toll on their health.
Residents met Naval Kishore Ram, Commissioner of the Pune Municipal Corporation, on Friday to ask for a permanent solution to shifting the garbage depot away from dense residential areas.
“We don’t remember the last time we opened our windows for fresh air,” said Shoyeb Sayyed, a resident of Sopan Baug. “The smell is unbearable, and at times, there is a fog of smoke. It feels like we are inhaling poison every day," he added.
Beyond the air, there is an anxiety about what lies beneath the ground. Residents fear that leachate from the waste heap may have seeped into the soil and contaminated underground water sources.
“This is not just about a bad smell anymore. We are worried about what this exposure is doing to our bodies in the long run. Even the water quality seems to have changed,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, a resident of BT Kawade Road.
“Spraying chemicals, covering waste, or sending teams occasionally does not solve the problem. We want the depot shifted. That is the only real solution,” added Kulkarni.
Prashant More, another resident, said, "We have tried every means to get rid of this garbage depot. I fail to understand why PMC is not planning to shift to the outskirts. Having it in a densely populated area shows how people's help is being taken for granted. We have raised this issue multiple times, but nothing has been done. Even if they are not shifting the depot, at least they should take strict action to control open garbage burning. It is injurious to health as well as harmful for the environment."
The issue, residents say, has crossed the line from inconvenience to a public health concern. With growing waste accumulation and smoke emissions from the site, the situation has only worsened.
As they prepare to meet the civic chief, residents say they are hopeful but also anxious. Hopeful that their voices will finally be heard. Anxious because they have lived with this problem for far too long.
A PMC official said they received the complaint and have deployed a team to keep a check on open garbage burning and would fine the defaulter heavily if found guilty.
