Before every election, voters remind candidates of garbage issue but it remains unresolved

Students and daily commuters experience the consequences directly. Divyashree Kawatkar, a 20-year-old resident, described waste disposal across Pune as inconsistent and poorly planned. “Garbage bins are not placed at regular distances. Once waste is dumped at one spot, it slowly turns into an informal dumping ground,” she said. She singled out the Nadipatra area as particularly unhygienic, citing the smell of rotting waste and visible river pollution. “Dustbins are mostly limited to commercial areas,” she added, calling it a planning failure.

Near the MaNaPa bus stop, where the Mutha river flows, Abhirami Pillai notices a recurring problem. “A large amount of religious waste is dumped into the river such as flowers along with plastic packaging,” she said. “I have rarely seen PMC workers cleaning the area,” she added, noting that even when communities organise clean-up drives, waste quickly returns. “Without surveillance or fines, the dumping continues.”

The people who handle the city’s waste see the issue from a different angle. Pradnya Kamble, a PMC waste collection worker, spoke about the risks involved in her job. “You find everything in the garbage; dead animals, glass, rotten food,” she said. While workers face warnings and possible suspension for lapses, speaking to citizens about illegal dumping often leads to threats of complaints. “If people at least segregate waste, our work becomes much easier,” she said.

Experts argue that the burden cannot rest on individual behaviour alone. Aarti Khatu, professor of Political Science at Fergusson College, said uneven implementation is the root problem. “Waste management cannot work if segregation and recycling are left to individuals alone,” she said. According to her, waste must be managed at the housing society level, with structured links to authorised recyclers. With growing population density, she warned, the pressure on existing infrastructure is increasing and reforms must be made accordingly. Across Pune, the problem is no longer invisible. The city’s waste crisis is not merely about awareness but also about enforcement, accountability, and a system that works beyond the early morning hours.

Narhe resident Sushila Inamdar says that the open dumping of garbage by citizens lead to stray dogs and pigs increasing in the area creating fear among the public of the area. “It is not only garbage but issues related to it like stray animals on roads causing safety issues for citizens using vehicles are of big concern. The open dumping of construction waste alongside the roads is also rampant,” she said, adding that those seeking votes should first speak on their strategy for handling of waste and providing safe living in the city.