Pune's daily garbage rises to about 3,000 tonnes during Diwali season

The festival season has increased Pune's garbage load. The waste collected in the city every day has now reached about 3,000 tonnes. According to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) records, 200 to 300 tonnes of additional waste has been generated daily since Dussehra, pushing the volume well above the normal range.

On ordinary days, the city generates and collects about 2,200 to 2,300 tonnes of waste a day. According to the PMC's solid waste management department, the main reasons for the increase are discarded items from household cleaning, packaging from shopping and Diwali preparations.

Santosh Warule, an official of the department, said the increase began around Dussehra and continued through Diwali. The additional waste includes discarded cardboard and plastic, sweet boxes, packaging from clothes and other purchases, and firecracker cartons.

A large share of the waste has also come from homes that cleared items accumulated over a long time. People who cleaned their homes before Diwali have put out broken appliances, unused furniture, old household items and other junk for disposal.

Many parts of Pune look less crowded than usual during the holidays, as people have left the city to meet family or travel. Even so, the garbage has not reduced in some markets and public places despite lower footfall, because household cleaning and festival shopping keep adding to the daily load.

The higher volume has put pressure on the PMC's garbage collection and cleaning system. Teams have to pick up the extra household waste while continuing the daily cleaning of roads, neighbourhoods and commercial areas.

Sanitation workers and waste pickers stayed at their jobs through the holidays. While many people have taken a break from daily chores, they are collecting garbage from residential areas and cleaning public spaces. Their work remains vital to keeping the city clean on the busiest days, when the most waste is generated.