The Kothrud garbage depot in Pune has been lying in neglect for over a month, with nearly 2,000 to 3,000 tonnes of waste piled up and no proper management in place, residents have complained.
Social activist Kiran Ramchandra Aadhagale said, "With Ganeshotsav celebrations in full swing, the amount of waste has increased sharply, and with Navratri around the corner, we fear the situation will worsen further. The stench, swarms of flies, and respiratory issues caused by the garbage have left us severely troubled. We urge the administration to immediately clear the accumulated waste and ensure cleanliness in line with the 'Zero Garbage' plan. We also want stricter accountability from contractors, an increase in garbage collection vehicles, and better planning to prevent such situations in the future. What makes matters worse is that the Kothrud Hospital is located right next to the depot, leaving patients and their families exposed to the unhygienic conditions."
'It affects my business'
Manohar Phondhe, a shop owner, said, "I have a snack shop near the garbage depot, and it affects my business, as sometimes when the breeze comes, the foul smell of the garbage comes along, and it's bad for my business. I urge authorities to at least cover the garbage depot with tin. And PMC should look for an alternate location or have more processing units so that the garbage does not get piled up."
'Remove the garbage depot'
Dilip Pawade, a Kothrud resident, said, "We have been demanding the removal of the garbage depot for the past few years. There's a metro station, and it does not look good to have a garbage depot near a metro station. Also, it becomes difficult to commute. I used to work there earlier at the garbage depot; now I have retired, but back then, we used to cover the garbage with mud. Now they don't cover it, and also, hotel waste food is being dumped, and the oil seeps out and comes onto the main road, causing vehicles to skid. The air is polluted because of the garbage depot; it should be relocated elsewhere."
'Causing a lot of health issues'
Janardhan Kadu, another Kothrud resident, said, "The garbage depot is causing a lot of health issues. During the rains, the road becomes very slippery, due to which a lot of accidents occur on that road. It also becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The PMC should have purchased land way before the expansion of city areas. Now, nobody lends their land, or even if they do, the rates are high, so they are facing the challenge of relocating it. Also, the civic body should consider washing their garbage trucks once a week or every two days. It smells bad and looks bad when they pass by on the road."
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Sandip Kadam, Head of PMC’s Solid Waste Management Department, said, "We are planning to shift the depot. Besides, there is only 80 tonnes of garbage there; the claim of 2,000 tonnes is wrong. Some people are spreading false news to cause a rift. The civic body is continuously working to make waste segregation."
"Due to the ongoing Ganpati festival and traffic diversion and some technical issues, around 2-7 garbage trucks were not processed, and that accumulates around 80 tonnes of garbage. However, it is being presented in the wrong way by some people. The garbage is being processed and will be cleared in two days, as the traffic now is affecting the transportation," added Kadam.
