PMC to Lift Waste in 3 Shifts Near Pune Airport Amid Bird Threat
Lohgaon, 28th June 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has unveiled a structured plan to boost garbage collection and sanitation efforts around the Lohegaon airport zone, following repeated complaints about the accumulation of waste attracting birds and stray animals near the airport.
Officials at Pune Airport had raised the alarm with the civic body, citing rising wildlife activity around flight paths due to unattended trash, which poses a significant safety risk to aircraft. In response, PMC has launched a dedicated three-shift garbage collection plan to cover a 4-kilometre radius around the airport — including a night-time garbage lifting schedule.
“To prevent bird and animal movement near the airport, it is essential that the area remains clean at all times,” said Sandeep Kadam, head of PMC’s Solid Waste Management Department. “We have issued a formal circular assigning duties and ensuring accountability. A nodal officer has been appointed to oversee 24/7 sanitation along the Airport Road.”
Kadam further added, “Our teams will operate in three shifts daily, covering all seven days of the week. We will monitor their work closely through regular reviews and mandatory daily reports.”
The decision comes after aviation safety officials observed that irregular garbage collection was creating unsanitary conditions around residential and commercial pockets near the airport — a common cause for bird strikes, which can endanger flights during take-off and landing.
