Around 200 concerned Punekars have signed a petition urging the authorities to take decisive action against illegal dumping and burning of waste in the city. The residents are fuming with frustration at Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for its inaction in addressing the issue. Civic body data reveals a drastic decrease in fines for garbage burning cases from January to October.

Residents of the Pashan Area Sabha took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to highlight that “there’s no point keeping a big waste bin on the service road near PMPML Sutarwadi bus depot, near Kumar Pepillion, as the garbage is littered all around.” They argue that the PMC refuses to enforce the law and should fine those refusing to hand over waste to the PMC, which would automatically reduce garbage burning.

Garbage burning cases this year

According to PMC data, the corporation collected a total of ₹3,27,67,237 in fines from October 23, 2023, to September 24, 2024, for various offenses related to maintaining hygiene in public, including spitting, garbage dumping, public urination, plastic waste disposal, and littering. Looking specifically at garbage burning cases, January saw 306 incidents, resulting in fines totaling ₹1,83,500. February recorded 128 cases with fines of ₹73,500, while March had 54 cases amounting to ₹54,000 in penalties. The trend continued to decline: April had 32 cases with fines of ₹23,000, May reported 14 cases with ₹29,000 in fines, and June noted just 6 cases, leading to ₹30,000 in penalties. In July and August, there were only 4 and 2 cases, respectively, incurring fines of ₹20,000 and ₹10,000. In September, there were 3 cases with fines of ₹2,500, and by October 5, there was 1 additional case resulting in a ₹5,000 fine. Overall, the total fines imposed from January to October reached ₹9,03,500.

Residents speak up

PMC's data indicates a decline in fines for garbage burning activities. Adharika Kapoor, an activist, stated, “Burning garbage releases harmful pollutants into the air, and its impact on respiratory health, especially among the elderly and vulnerable populations, is a major concern. With the onset of the winter season, burning garbage will only exacerbate the deteriorating Air Quality Index. The burning of garbage is seen everywhere, whether in small localities or at garbage dumping points. It is hard to believe that the trend of burning garbage has come down. More fines should be imposed, and strict actions should be taken against the violators.”

Sheetal Bharadwaj, a resident of Warje, commented, “Garbage burning is not an issue associated with one region; it is everywhere. Recently, I drove through Karve Nagar Bridge near Van Devi Mandir and saw a worrying sight: a pile of garbage lined the roadside, set ablaze in the early morning. The garbage was a mix of harmful plastic and other materials. PMC should take action against these people who are playing with the lives of others. Our plight is not being heard by the civic body, and we are asked to pay taxes on time. The issue seems to be increasing day by day; strict action is required to curb the trend of burning garbage.”

Recent case of garbage burning

Nearly a week ago, residents near Baner and adjoining areas along NH-48 (Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway) woke up to thick clouds of toxic smog rising from garbage dumps set ablaze along the highway. Sandeep Kadam, chief of solid waste management at PMC, stated, “The cases of burning garbage have come down, and the numbers are usually low during the monsoons. We are taking action against the burning of garbage. Our team immediately responds to complaints and imposes fines. We have deployed a team to clear the garbage spots across the city.”