Pune: Waste collection for approximately 1.5 lakh residents in Loni Kalbhor and Kadamwakvasti has ground to a halt since Friday after students of MIT-ADT University blocked garbage trucks from entering the campus premises. The trucks were en route to a dumping ground located in the Mula-Mutha riverbed.The long-simmering dispute boiled over after a massive fire broke out at the illegal dump site on Feb 26, blanketing the university campus in toxic fumes for three days. Following the incident, students staged a protest in early March, issuing a seven-day ultimatum to local gram panchayats to find an alternative site. When the deadline expired on Friday, students resumed their blockade.Yashwant Mane, sub-divisional officer (Haveli), told TOI that the dispute involves a land parcel near the Mula-Mutha river that the gram panchayats have used for dumping for over 30 years. “I have instructed the land records department to conduct a survey and verify the exact measurements and ownership of the site,” Mane said. “Our primary concern is ensuring that garbage does not enter the river.”While local officials claim the site is govt land, Mane noted he is awaiting official documentation to confirm if it belongs to the forest department. Regarding alternative sites, Mane added that a proposal sent to the district collector’s office was returned with queries and is currently pending with the gram panchayat for clarification.Nagesh Kalbhor, administrator and former sarpanch of Loni Kalbhor, expressed frustration over the lack of support. “We have written multiple letters to the zilla parishad, the cllector, and PMRDA, but no land has been allotted for a solid waste management plant,” he said. He noted that while they identified grazing land as an alternative, the proposal stalled, and nearby areas have since become residential. “If we don’t pick up waste, it will lead to a health crisis and public agitation,” Kalbhor warned.Efforts to resolve the deadlock are underway. Appasaheb Gujar, deputy chief executive officer of the Zilla Parishad, has called a meeting on Monday to discuss sewage and solid waste disposal.Gram panchayat Officer Srikant Wawhal stated that a gram sabha on Saturday approved the use of a govt plot away from residential zones. “We plan to tie up with a private company for daily waste disposal. MIT-ADT has pledged CSR funds to cover these costs for the first six months,” Wawhal said, expressing hope that Monday’s meeting would grant the necessary approvals to begin work immediately.Mangesh Karad, executive president of MIT-ADT University, emphasised that dumping waste into the river has severely endangered public health and the environment. Karad confirmed that the university has offered up to ₹25 lakh to both gram panchayats to help set up waste processing plants.“Kadamwakvasti has found a solution, and we are supporting them. However, Loni Kalbhor remains adamant,” Karad said. Addressing the university’s own waste, he added, “We have an existing sewage treatment plant. While we previously processed solid waste on-campus, we are now formalising an agreement with a facility in Hadapsar to handle all university waste starting next week.”
