A fire at a bio-waste management site near a crematorium in Mahaluge, Pune, has continued for two days, with residents of Sarathi Skybay Society reporting persistent smoke after the blaze reportedly reignited following firefighting efforts.
Residents have complained to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the fire brigade, seeking immediate action to fully extinguish the fire and prevent further exposure to smoke in the surrounding neighbourhood. According to residents, the smoke has made it difficult to breathe and has affected nearby households.
Residents have also claimed that the Air Quality Index in the area reached around 500. The figure has not been independently confirmed in the source report, but the complaint has intensified concerns among people living near the waste facility. Residents have expressed particular concern for children, senior citizens and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
The fire brigade has been working to bring the blaze under control, according to the report. However, residents said the fire returned after initial firefighting efforts, raising concerns that smouldering waste may continue to generate smoke even after visible flames are reduced.
The incident has placed the focus on the location and operating conditions of the bio-waste management site, which is situated close to residential development and a local crematorium. Residents have demanded that the facility be relocated away from homes, arguing that extinguishing the current fire would not address the longer-term risk of recurring incidents.
They have also called for the waste at the site to be safely removed, improved disposal practices and preventive measures to reduce the possibility of future fires. Regular monitoring of air quality in the area is another demand raised by residents.
The episode highlights the immediate challenge faced by municipal authorities when waste-handling facilities operate close to expanding residential neighbourhoods: emergency response must address the active fire, while the administration must also determine how waste is stored, removed and monitored at the site. The source report does not provide details of the facility’s operator, the quantity or type of waste involved, the cause of the fire, or any official air-quality readings.
Residents are now seeking urgent intervention from the municipal administration, including complete extinguishing of the fire, safe removal of the waste and a permanent solution for the facility’s location and management.
