Who Is Shielding Illegal Garbage Dumping in NIBM Annexe? Activist Alleges PMC Nexus

Pune: What is unfolding in NIBM Annexe–Mohammadwadi is not just environmental negligence—it is, according to civil rights activist Jaymala Dhankikar, a systematic and protected operation of illegal garbage dumping and burning, allegedly enabled by officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) solid waste management department.

Despite repeated complaints, photographic evidence and now intervention by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), large-scale dumping of mixed waste continues unabated in the area, followed by routine burning, releasing toxic smoke in one of Pune’s most expensive residential zones.

“This is an open secret. Tractor after tractor dumps garbage in broad daylight. Fires are lit without fear. This cannot happen without official protection,” Dhankikar alleged.

‘A well-oiled racket’

Dhankikar has accused PMC’s solid waste management machinery of being part of a well-oiled nexus involving contractors, influential individuals and civic officials, allowing land reserved for the poor and needy to be converted into an illegal dumping ground.

“This is organised dumping, not random negligence. Influential people and their relatives are using this land with full confidence that no law will touch them,” she said.

She specifically named solid waste management officer Suraj Admane, accusing him of dereliction of duty and wilful inaction.

“Officials are supposed to prevent dumping and burning. Instead, PMC staffers behave arrogantly, threaten complainants and act as if they are accountable to no one,” Dhankikar claimed.

‘Above the law?’

Residents allege that complaints to PMC helplines, ward offices and senior officials have been ignored, while fires at the dumping site continue to erupt at regular intervals.

“If this was happening in a less affluent area, bulldozers and FIRs would have followed. Here, because powerful people are involved, the administration looks the other way,” Dhankikar alleged.

She further questioned how tractors freely enter the site without permits or challans, asking who authorises the movement of waste vehicles outside designated dumping grounds.

Call for MCOCA, ED and IT probes

Calling the alleged operation an environmental crime syndicate, Dhankikar demanded the strictest legal action.

“This is organised crime under environmental laws. Those involved must be booked under MCOCA. An FIR is non-negotiable. The Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department must investigate the money trail—who is paying whom to dump garbage illegally in a prime locality,” she said.

CPCB steps in, PMC silent

Following the complaint, the CPCB has directed the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to initiate action and submit a detailed action-taken report. However, on the ground, residents say nothing has changed.

The Pune Municipal Corporation’s solid waste management department has not issued any clarification, nor has it disclosed whether internal inquiries have been initiated against officials named in the complaint.

Repeated attempts to seek responses from PMC officials went unanswered.

A warning sign for the city

Activists warn that if such alleged dumping and burning can continue openly in a posh area like NIBM Annexe, it raises serious questions about governance across Pune.

“This is not just about garbage. It is about the collapse of accountability and the protection of vested interests at the cost of public health,” Dhankikar said.

As smoke continues to rise from the dumping site, residents and activists are now asking a pointed question: Who is shielding the garbage mafia in Mohammadwadi?