Pune: 6,000 MIT ADT Students Block Garbage Trucks, Protest Dumping of Waste In Mula–Mutha River At Loni Kalbhor
Pune: 6,000 MIT ADT Students Block Garbage Trucks, Protest Dumping of Waste In Mula–Mutha River At Loni Kalbhor
Pune, March 13, 2026: Hundreds of students from MIT Art, Design and Technology University in Loni-Kalbhor on the outskirts of Pune staged a renewed protest on Thursday against the continued dumping of garbage in the Mula-Mutha River basin. The demonstration began after a seven-day deadline given to local authorities to stop the practice expired without any action.
Nearly 6,000 students from the MIT Education Complex participated in the “Garbage Shutdown” protest and blocked tractors carrying waste at the university’s main entrance. Students alleged that 35 to 40 tractor-loads of garbage from Loni-Kalbhor, Kadamwakvasti and nearby villages are dumped in the riverbed every day, posing a serious threat to the environment and public health.
The students had earlier staged a similar protest on March 4 and prevented vehicles carrying garbage from entering the riverbed through the campus route. Following the agitation, Dr. Rajkumar Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6), intervened and a week’s time was given to the concerned gram panchayats to find an alternative waste disposal arrangement.
However, with dumping continuing even after the deadline, students resumed their protest and vowed to continue until the practice is completely stopped. The agitation has also received support from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), whose members joined the demonstration.
Police have deployed additional personnel outside the university campus to prevent any confrontation between students and representatives of the local gram panchayats.
The issue gained urgency after a major fire broke out in the garbage dump on February 26, which burned for four days and released thick toxic smoke in the area. Several students reportedly suffered breathing difficulties and had to be hospitalised.
Officials including Yashwant Mane, Sub-Divisional Officer of Haveli, and Trupti Kolte, Upper Tehsildar of Loni-Kalbhor, had inspected the site after the incident, but students say no permanent solution has been implemented.
Students claim that around 70 tonnes of waste are still being dumped daily in the river basin, leading to foul smell, repeated fires and health risks for residents and the university community.
Reacting to the issue, Mangesh Karad, Executive Chairman of MIT ADT University, said the institution has always cooperated with local gram panchayats but dumping garbage in the riverbed is unacceptable. He urged authorities to identify an alternative site for waste management and prevent further pollution of the Mula–Mutha river.
