Pune: PMC Waste Processing System Under Strain as Major Plants Shut or Slow Down, Causing Garbage Pile-Up Across City
Pune, 19th May 2026: Closure and reduced functioning of several waste processing plants operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation have started affecting garbage management across the city, with civic officials admitting on Monday that waste accumulation has increased at multiple locations.
According to the civic administration, waste processing facilities with a combined capacity of nearly 200 to 250 tonnes have remained shut for the past several days due to expansion work and technical repairs, leading to additional pressure on the city’s solid waste management system.
Addressing a press conference, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and Additional Commissioner Prajit Nair said that Sai Ram and Nepra waste processing plants at Keshavnagar, each having a capacity of around 150 tonnes, are currently non-operational because of capacity enhancement work and mechanical maintenance.
Officials also said the 750-tonne-capacity Poona Bio Energy project at Ramtekdi has not been functioning at full capacity for the last few months and is currently processing only around 100 tonnes of waste daily. Similarly, the Noble company’s wet waste-to-fuel plant at Sus, which has a processing capacity of 200 tonnes, is presently operating at only 40 tonnes capacity.
Due to these disruptions, the city is facing an additional burden of nearly 300 to 400 tonnes of waste every day, officials admitted. Garbage has started piling up at some processing centres and heaps have increased on loading ramps as well.
PMC officials said Pune currently generates nearly 1,100 tonnes of wet waste daily. Of this, only around 400 tonnes are being scientifically processed, while the remaining 700 tonnes are being diverted for agricultural use.
The administration claimed efforts are underway to restore the Poona Bio Energy project to full operational capacity at the earliest.
Officials at the solid waste management department said frequent power outages reported in the city over the past few days have also affected the functioning of waste processing facilities. The officer added that work is underway to restart the shut plants and, until then, additional waste is being diverted to operational facilities for disposal.
