A city round-up across Ramdaspeth, Dhantoli, Trimurti Nagar, Ganeshpeth, Mahal, Sitabuldi, Subhash Nagar, IT Park Road, Bharat Nagar, Sakkardara, Ram Nagar, and Chitnispura showed garbage “not by accident but by sustained neglect,” the court noted, deciding that judicial intervention was warranted.The civic body spends over Rs8 crore a month—nearly Rs100 crore a year—on garbage collection and transportation through two private firms.Officials say inspections are underway across zones for Swachh Survekshan 2025, including wall painting, removal of construction debris, park upkeep, and door-to-door collection. On the ground, however, busy roads and dense neighbourhoods remain under heaps of waste, casting doubt on official claims.With the city’s population crossing 35 lakh and nearly 5.75 lakh households, at least 550 garbage vehicles are needed daily. Fewer than 450 are available, and about 10% remain off-road for repairs, residents complain, leading to irregular doorstep collection, the report stated.The administration maintains that 1,300–1,400 tonnes of waste are processed each day and that segregation at source is mandatory. It also claims that Bhandewadi dumping yard will soon show no visible heaps. For now, the court observed, the gap between claims and reality is visible on the streets.
