Pune: An unprecedented surge in garbage generation has pushed the Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) waste management system to the brink, with daily collection skyrocketing from 20 tonnes to nearly 80 tonnes over the last five years.Officials said this huge increase has overwhelmed existing infrastructure, making it nearly impossible to maintain sanitation standards.While the cantonment is split between military and civilian areas, the bulk of the waste originates from densely populated civilian zones, including eateries, shops, and residential colonies. However, authorities have identified a third major contributor: transit dumping.“What we are witnessing is not just a rise in local waste, but large-scale dumping in open spaces by commuters passing through the area,” said Brigadier Tarunesh, Station Commander, Pune. “Five years ago, we handled 20 tonnes daily. Today, it has increased by fourfold. Managing this volume is becoming practically impossible with our current manpower and logistics.”The crisis has turned open defence land into dumping hotspots. Authorities said despite installing additional bins, they cannot stop “outsiders” from disposing of trash while driving through. A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned of drastic measures: “We cannot easily restrict commuter movement, but if this continues, we may be forced to temporarily close certain roads to civilian traffic to prevent illegal dumping.“The sanitation crisis has already hurt PCB’s standing in the Swachh Survekshan rankings, where open dumping sites were flagged as a major concern.To mitigate the situation, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stepped in to provide additional tipper vehicles to accelerate collection. This waste, particularly organic matter, is expected to be processed at the Hadapsar trenching ground in the coming weeks. “Given our financial constraints, we could not procure these vehicles independently. PMC’s support is crucial,” the official added.However, local activists and military observers have accused the board of a reactive rather than proactive approach.“Authorities failed to foresee this issue years ago,” said activist Murtaza Poonawala. “We informed them repeatedly, but they ignored the warnings. Now they claim it is beyond their control. This is a failure of leadership.”Suresh Kawade, another activist, argued that the decline in civic services since 2017 shows the PCB can no longer manage these issues alone. “The only immediate solution is excision (merging civilian areas with the PMC),” he said.Even within the military, hope for a quick fix is thin. “The present condition is the result of a decade of systemic failure,” a senior Army officer said. “Only sustained, coordinated efforts will help in moving forward.”
