Increase in Mixed Waste During Pune’s Night Cleaning Drive Raises Concerns
Pune, 24th July 2025: As part of a city-wide initiative to ensure cleaner streets by morning, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has intensified night cleaning operations. While citizens have largely welcomed the move, the municipal administration is now grappling with a new issue—an alarming rise in mixed waste, which has surged by 15 to 20 percent during the night shift.
To address ongoing complaints about unclean streets, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ordered night-time garbage collection across Pune. Responding to his directive, the Solid Waste Management Department deployed 1,472 sanitation workers and 213 vehicles to collect waste from 9 PM to 6 AM daily. The initiative yields 200 to 250 metric tons of garbage each night.
However, officials report that the bulk of this waste is not segregated. “The garbage collected at night is mostly mixed—both wet and dry—since the segregation ramps are shut at that hour,” said Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B. P. “This has led to a significant increase in unsegregated waste, making disposal more difficult and increasing the burden on our staff.”
According to PMC, garbage is now collected in two shifts—from 9 PM to 6 AM and 7 AM to 1 PM—to cover more ground. Yet the absence of nighttime segregation facilities has become a bottleneck.
Adding to the challenge is the safety of sanitation workers on night duty. “Thirty percent of our sanitation staff are working at night, and we have already seen two incidents of attacks on our employees. Their safety is a growing concern,” Prithviraj added.
The PMC is currently assessing solutions to reduce mixed waste generation during night hours and improve worker safety, while continuing its effort to keep Pune cleaner.
