Weeks after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) labelled its ‘Vishwa 2025’ waste management pilot in Vimannagar a “highly successful” initiative, local residents have raised sharp concerns about the project’s on-ground performance. The new system, aimed at mechanising and partially privatising waste collection, has drawn criticism for inconsistent service, dirty streets and inadequate integration of existing SWaCH waste pickers.
Residents Say Pilot Has “Failed to Deliver Clean Streets”
Citizen group Viman Nagar Samsya submitted a letter to the PMC Commissioner on November 3, listing civic failures, with garbage collection and street cleaning at the top of their concerns.
Residents said chronic dumping, lack of monitoring and hawkers disposing waste in public continue unabated.
“On November 22, locals conducted a cleanliness drive from CCD Chowk to Konarknagar and collected large amounts of trash. If the goal was cleaner streets, the pilot has failed,” said long-time resident Anita Hanumante.
SWaCH Waste Pickers Say They Were Sidelined
The new model has also been criticised for inadequate transition planning. Members of the SWaCH cooperative — responsible for door-to-door waste collection for years — say PMC has not integrated them effectively into the revamped system.
Areas like Sanjay Park, where SWaCH workers earlier operated, reportedly saw garbage piling up after the shift to the Vishwa 2025 pilot mechanism.
Vimannagar Continues to Be a Hotspot for Garbage Concerns
The neighbourhood, home to Pune Airport and the Air Force Station, has faced recurring issues related to:
- Bird activity affecting flight safety
- Stray animals near airport zones
- Wild animal movement, including a leopard sighting in the past
These incidents prompted PMC to prioritise the area for its waste management overhaul. However, a Times visit on November 11 at 5am reportedly found streets still littered, with chronic dumping points fully active.