A fire at a bio-waste management site near a crematorium in Mahaluge, Pune, has reportedly continued for two days, leaving residents of Sarathi Skybay Society exposed to persistent smoke and raising concerns over the safety of waste facilities located close to residential neighbourhoods.
Residents said the fire had been brought partly under control by the fire brigade but reignited, prolonging the smoke in the surrounding area. They have complained to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the fire brigade, seeking urgent action to extinguish the blaze completely.
According to residents, the smoke has made it difficult to breathe in the neighbourhood. They have expressed particular concern for children, senior citizens and people with pre-existing respiratory conditions, who they believe may be more vulnerable to prolonged exposure. The reported health concerns have not been independently assessed in the supplied report.
Residents also claimed that the Air Quality Index in the area reached around 500. The figure was presented as a resident claim and no independent monitoring data or official air-quality reading was provided in the report. If confirmed, such a level would indicate a severe localised air-quality concern, particularly because the fire is reported to have continued near occupied homes.
The incident has renewed questions about the location and management of bio-waste facilities in expanding suburban areas. Residents have demanded that the facility be shifted away from residential neighbourhoods, arguing that extinguishing the current fire alone would not address the risks of recurring fires, unsafe storage or continued exposure to smoke.
They have called for the waste at the site to be safely removed, regular air-quality monitoring to be conducted and preventive measures to be introduced. Their demands also include safer waste-disposal practices and a permanent solution for the facility’s operation.
The report said municipal and fire authorities were working to bring the situation under control. However, the recurrence of the blaze after initial firefighting efforts has increased residents’ concerns about whether the site has been fully secured and whether the material stored there could ignite again.
The immediate priority remains complete extinguishing of the fire and removal or safe handling of the affected waste. Residents are also seeking intervention from the municipal administration on relocation, monitoring and fire-prevention measures at the site.
