Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad Faces Biomedical Waste Crisis as Illegal Dumping Persists
Pimpri Chinchwad, 25th February 2025: In a concerning development, Pimpri-Chinchwad residents have raised alarms over the improper disposal of biomedical waste in public spaces, posing significant health and environmental risks. The city with thousands of big and small hospitals generates between 3.5 to 4 tons of biomedical waste daily.
Despite the appointment of Passco Environmental Solutions Pvt Ltd – Pune for waste collection and disposal, citizens continue to find syringes, partially filled medicine bottles, and other medical debris along roadsides, footpaths, and near riverbeds. Areas such as Moshi, Chikhali and Sangvi have been particularly affected, with residents claiming that some clinics and pharmacies are dumping waste in open spaces and rivers.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has taken steps to address this issue. In August 2023, a new facility capable of processing 17.9 tons of biomedical waste daily was established in Moshi, replacing the previous 2-ton capacity centre at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital in Pimpri. This upgrade aims to manage the city’s biomedical waste for the next 12 years.
PCMC currently charges hospitals Rs 8.16 per bed per day and clinics an annual fee of Rs 4,039 for waste collection. The waste is categorized into four types – yellow, red, blue, and white – with different disposal methods including incineration and shredding after disinfection.
In response to the illegal dumping, PCMC’s Health Department has imposed fines of Rs 35,000 on offenders. Deputy Commissioner of Health, Sachin Pawar, reported that between 1st April 2024, and 23rd February 2025, fines totalling Rs 1,40,000 were collected from those caught improperly disposing of biomedical waste.
Citizens are calling for stricter enforcement and penalties against those responsible for dumping medical waste in public areas.
