Residents see red over open garbage burning, want PMC to intensify vigil

Pune: Residents from several parts of the city have raised serious concerns over the recurring instances of open garbage burning, urging civic authorities to strengthen surveillance to curb the practice in view of its harmful impact on air quality and public health.According to the residents, riverbeds, open plots and designated waste collection points have become hotspots for such fires. What has alarmed people further is that these burnings are now happening even during the daytime.
On Wednesday, senior citizen Ashok Joshi spotted one such instance while walking near the Z-bridge stretch in Deccan Gymkhana. "I observed dense smoke rising from garbage set ablaze under the bridge, spreading a foul smell across the area," he said.Similar complaints emerged from Baner-Balewadi, where resident Virendra Jadhav said frequent garbage fires had become a major worry. "We want the authorities to step up patrolling along the Ramnadi and Mula river. It seems the waste is being intentionally set on fire. Pune Municipal Corporation must also check if any lapses by staff involved in waste handling are contributing to such incidents," Jadhav said.Officials from PMC's solid waste management department said enforcement had been strengthened over the past two weeks after the civic polls. "Fines are being issued in areas like Pisoli and Alandi Road for illegal waste burning, and teams have been directed to monitor chronic spots daily," an official said.While PMC reported taking action in five cases over the last 10 days, the residents argued that the actual number of incidents was significantly higher. Shivajinagar resident Sanjay Vaidya said "Open garbage burning harms public health, especially when the city's air quality is already deteriorating. This could lead to more complications. There must be stricter deterrence, as many people setting the fire are unaware of its hazardous impact," he said.PMC solid waste management head Avinash Sakpal said the department was closely tracking reported incidents. "Our teams are inspecting various locations regularly. Ward officers have also been instructed to keep a watch on waste-handling staff to ensure no one from the system is involved," he said.