The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing scrutiny after GPS devices installed on garbage-carrying vehicles developed faults within just three months of installation. This has raised serious concerns about the monitoring of waste transportation and the potential for illegal dumping activities across the city.
Technical Glitches Affect Over 100 GPS Units
According to PMC data, out of 300 GPS trackers fitted on garbage vehicles, approximately 100 have reported technical issues. Citizen activists have alleged that these glitches may be intentional, suggesting that some civic officials and contractors prefer not to have the movement of garbage vehicles tracked. They have demanded a thorough inquiry into why the GPS units became non-functional so quickly.
Vijay Kumbhar of Surajya Sangharsh Samiti, a citizens' group, stated, “Waste is dumped unscientifically at several locations by transporters. The absence of proper monitoring enables such activities, and non-functional GPS systems only make it easier. It is surprising that the recently installed GPS units have stopped functioning. The authorities concerned must look into the issue and find the real reason for the systems to stop working. Civic officials who ignore illegal dumping cases should be held accountable.”
Residents have also complained that inadequate monitoring has led to open dumping at various locations and that proper waste segregation is often neglected.
Residents Raise Safety and Operational Concerns
Teja Paranjape, a resident of Sinhagad Road, highlighted additional issues: “Many garbage-carrying vehicles ply without adhering to traffic rules. Drivers are often seen driving rashly and negligently. The authorities should closely monitor their operations.”
According to civic data, of the 944 vehicles engaged in waste transportation, around 626 are operated by the administration, while private contractors operate nearly 318 vehicles. All privately operated vehicles are required to be fitted with GPS. The carrying capacity of these vehicles ranges from three tonnes to 22 tonnes.
PMC Officials Respond to GPS Failure
Santosh Warule, head of PMC’s solid waste management department, told TOI that the civic body has taken note of the issue and is working to fix the systems. “We have started repairing the tracking units. Most of them have already been fixed, and monitoring will improve significantly,” Warule said.
Payment Models and Waste Volume
Different payment models are used for waste transportation vehicles. Smaller vehicles are paid on a per-day basis, while larger vehicles are compensated on a per-tonne basis. Some operators are also paid according to the distance travelled. The fleet of transport vehicles, including large trucks and smaller garbage carriers, carries approximately 2,400 tonnes of waste every day.
