The Pune Municipal Corporation will begin cleaning major roads in the Pune Cantonment Board area, taking on an estimated annual cost of Rs 2 crore despite the cantonment falling outside its formal jurisdiction.
PMC additional commissioner Prajit Nair said the civic body’s solid waste management department would undertake regular cleaning of the roads. The move follows concerns over garbage accumulating along both sides of major roads in the cantonment area, while waste collection continues in other parts of Pune.
The Pune Cantonment area is located in the centre of the city and includes the divisional commissioner’s office and offices of several state government departments. Ministers, legislators, parliamentarians and other dignitaries frequently visit the area, in addition to the large number of citizens who travel through it.
According to civic officials, unattended waste on the roads has become a cleanliness concern and affects how visitors perceive Pune as a whole. Although the cantonment is outside PMC limits, the area is commonly experienced as part of the city’s central urban fabric. The decision therefore extends PMC’s routine solid waste management operations beyond its administrative boundary.
PMC held discussions with cantonment authorities before deciding to undertake the work, and the cantonment authorities agreed to the arrangement. The PMC health department is expected to begin regular cleaning of the major roads soon.
The arrangement will create an additional financial obligation for the civic body because the work will be carried out outside PMC jurisdiction. Nair said the intervention was necessary because the area contains important administrative offices and receives frequent visits from dignitaries. He said poor cleanliness there could create a misconception about PMC’s work and that cleaning the roads would help maintain Pune’s overall image.
The decision places responsibility for the immediate cleanliness of the roads with PMC, while the cantonment area remains outside the corporation’s formal limits. The health department’s commencement of work will be the next operational step.
