Pune: DP-Reserved Plot Meant for Garden Now a Garbage Dump and Cattle Enclosure, Claim Mohammedwadi Residents
Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Mohammedwadi, 29th June 2026: A Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) amenity plot reserved for public facilities at Gemini Cooperative Housing Society in NIBM Annexe, Mohammedwadi, has allegedly been turned into a buffalo shed, garbage dumping ground, and open urination spot, prompting residents to demand immediate civic intervention to protect the valuable public land.
The Development Plan (DP)-reserved plot, earmarked for public amenities such as a garden, playground, community hall, or recreational space, has remained undeveloped for several years. Residents allege that the civic body’s failure to secure and maintain the land has led to its misuse and increased the risk of encroachment.
According to residents, the plot, located in one of Pune’s rapidly developing residential corridors, is worth several crores of rupees but lacks even basic protection. They said there is no proper compound wall, entrance gate, security personnel, CCTV surveillance, lighting, or signboard identifying it as PMC property. The existing low boundary wall allows unrestricted access to people and animals.
Residents further alleged that buffaloes are regularly tethered inside the plot, effectively converting land reserved for public use into an informal cattle enclosure. They claimed the presence of livestock has resulted in foul odour, accumulation of dung, flies, and unhygienic conditions.
The vacant land has also reportedly become a dumping ground for household waste and construction debris. During the monsoon, stagnant water mixed with garbage creates favourable conditions for mosquito breeding, while open urination and the presence of stray dogs have further aggravated sanitation and public health concerns.
Residents said they had voluntarily planted trees on the plot in an effort to beautify and protect the land. However, they alleged that the plantation was later destroyed by members of a local land mafia. Despite repeated complaints, they claimed that no meaningful inquiry or action has been initiated.
Citizens said the continued neglect reflects a broader pattern in which reserved amenity plots across the city remain vulnerable to misuse and encroachment due to the absence of timely development and adequate protection. They warned that once public land is illegally occupied, reclaiming it often becomes a lengthy and expensive legal process.
Residents also questioned why thousands of families living in the rapidly growing Mohammedwadi–NIBM Annexe area continue to face a shortage of public gardens, playgrounds, and recreational spaces despite land being reserved for such purposes under the Development Plan.
They have urged the PMC to immediately construct a full-height compound wall, install a secure entrance gate, remove the buffaloes, clear the accumulated garbage, prevent further dumping, restore the tree plantation, install CCTV cameras and adequate lighting, and develop the land into a public garden, children’s play area, walking track, or community recreation facility. They have also demanded an inquiry into the alleged destruction of the tree plantation and a citywide audit of all DP-reserved amenity plots to prevent encroachments on public land.
