Pune: Wakad-Chandani Chowk Service Road Turning a Garbage Dump, Civic Concerns Intensify
Pune: Wakad-Chandani Chowk Service Road Turning a Garbage Dump, Civic Concerns Intensify
Pune: Citizens call for urgent action as the service road between Wakad and Chandani Chowk on the NH-48 highway transforms into a large dumping site, posing environmental and safety risks.
The service road along the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway (NH-48), stretching from Wakad to Chandani Chowk, Pune, has become an unsightly garbage dumping ground. Piles of waste, including torn pillows, broken furniture, stained mattresses, and even discarded electronics, have created a public nuisance, prompting citizens to demand action from the local civic body. The uncontrolled dumping has turned the area into a hazardous zone, attracting stray animals and creating health risks for commuters and residents.
Growing Concern Among Citizens
Many Pune residents have expressed frustration over the growing problem, pointing out that despite the obvious health and environmental hazards, no substantial action has been taken to resolve the issue. Chaitanya Ket, a resident of Kothrud, commutes daily between Kothrud and Hinjawadi and highlights the deteriorating state of multiple areas along the service road.
“There are many spots where garbage is dumped regularly, and the problem has been escalating,” Ket said. He mentioned that the area opposite Orchid Hotel in Baner had turned into a waste handling site, where earlier waste segregation was managed manually. Now, however, the dumping has spread over a 500-meter radius. Ket noted that private workers often collect valuable waste and leave the rest to pile up. “We don’t even know if the spot is designated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) or if it’s illegal,” he added.
Commuters are calling on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to enhance security measures and implement monitoring systems to identify and penalize individuals responsible for illegal dumping. Some private workers occasionally clear waste in small trucks, much of it remains untouched, leading to a persistent accumulation of garbage.
Environmental and Safety Hazards
One of the alarming issues associated with the illegal dumping is the burning of waste. Ket mentioned witnessing burnt garbage residues, though no one takes responsibility for the burning. He recounted a conversation with a private worker near Tip-Top International Hotel, who admitted to burning the waste because no one had collected it. This ad hoc handling of waste highlights the lack of proper management and monitoring by civic authorities.
Another concerned citizen, took to X (formerly Twitter) to raise awareness about the growing problem. He pointed out that the issue is not isolated to just one section of the highway; garbage is accumulating across service roads along the Dehu-Katraj bypass. One particularly problematic area is near Sutarwadi, which is becoming a dumping hotspot.
In addition to the environmental damage, residents have highlighted the safety risks posed by the dumping. a daily commuter from Bavdhan to Wakad, noted that the garbage attracts stray animals, which gather around the trash heaps and often take shelter in underpasses. “The garbage piles are not only a health hazard but also a potential cause of accidents, especially with stray animals wandering into the roads and underpasses,” local residents warned.
With the garbage situation worsening, residents and commuters are urging the Pune Municipal Corporation and relevant authorities to take immediate action. They are calling for stronger monitoring mechanisms to catch those responsible for dumping waste and better waste management solutions to prevent further accumulation.
Improved waste collection systems, increased surveillance, and stricter enforcement of penalties for illegal dumping are among the measures residents hope to see implemented. As the stretch of NH-48 continues to suffer from unchecked dumping, the public’s plea for cleaner, safer roads grows louder.
