Pune Garbage Piles Up as Uruli Devachi Protest Disrupts Waste Disposal

Pune, 11th August 2026: Pune’s garbage collection and disposal system has been disrupted for the past week following a protest by residents of Uruli Devachi and Fursungi over open dumping and other waste-processing activities at the Uruli Devachi waste depot.

With garbage vehicles unable to transport waste to the processing facilities at Uruli Devachi, waste has started piling up on roads and in several parts of the city. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been temporarily storing garbage at transfer stations and in collection vehicles, but these facilities are now running out of space.

An estimated 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes of garbage is currently lying across the city. The situation has worsened due to rainfall, which has made the waste wet and accelerated decomposition. Foul smells have been reported in several areas, raising concerns over public health.

Pune generates around 2,800 tonnes of garbage daily, including waste from the newly incorporated villages. Of this, around 500 to 600 tonnes is normally sent to waste-processing facilities at Uruli Devachi. However, this waste has not been transported to the facilities for the past eight to 10 days due to the ongoing protest.

The PMC has 27 waste-processing projects across the city, but several are not operating at full capacity. As a result, the existing facilities have been unable to handle the additional waste generated by the disruption at Uruli Devachi.

The civic administration is collecting garbage wherever possible and temporarily storing it at transfer stations and other locations. However, continued rainfall is adding to the problem, as wet waste is more difficult to transport and process.

The PMC is holding discussions with the protesting residents in an attempt to resolve the issue. At the same time, officials have been directed to increase the processing capacity of other waste-treatment facilities to help clear the accumulated garbage.

“Discussions are underway with the residents of Uruli Devachi regarding their demands. We are also looking into the problems at the processing facilities and have instructed officials to increase the capacity of other projects. Garbage is being collected, and the waste lying in different parts of the city will be cleared soon,” said Santosh Warule, a civic official.