The rapid urban expansion of Pimpri-Chinchwad city has brought with it a mounting garbage problem that is becoming more severe day by day. Skyscrapers and residential developments are rising, and with an increasing population, waste management issues are spilling onto the streets and highways.
The old Pune-Mumbai highway, which passes through Dehu Road and Talegaon Dabhade, has become a dumping ground for mixed garbage. Despite Municipal Corporation and Talegaon Nagar Parishad initiatives to collect wet and dry waste separately, many residents fail to segregate their garbage. Collection workers refuse to accept unsegregated waste, leading to citizens discarding garbage along the highway, particularly at night.
In an effort to eliminate garbage bins from the city, local authorities have inadvertently created a new issue. With no bins available, many residents, especially commuters travelling to Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad for work, throw garbage along the highway. This has led to unsightly and foul-smelling piles of trash lining the highway between Talegaon Dabhade and Dehu Road, as well as the Talegaon Dabhade-Chakan highway. The situation has prompted people to sarcastically question whether these roads are highways or garbage dumps.
The growing population of Pimpri-Chinchwad has also strained waste management systems. Seven years ago, the city was collecting 832 tons of waste daily, which has now surged to 1,280 tons. This has overwhelmed the Moshi garbage depot, where waste from the Khadki and Dehu Road Cantonment Board areas is also being dumped, exacerbating the crisis.
Residents express frustration over the lack of effective solutions. “The Talegaon Dabhade Municipal Council doesn’t accept mixed garbage, and in households where both members work, no one is home when garbage collection vehicles arrive. This forces people to dump their waste along the highway on their way to work. The authorities need to monitor and penalise those discarding garbage on the roads,” said a local resident.
Ajinkya Yele, Assistant Commissioner of the Health Department, explained that efforts are being made to collect segregated wet and dry waste through dedicated vehicles. However, he noted that much of the garbage on highways comes from people who reside outside municipal limits.
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