Pune Municipal Corporation's Solid Waste Management Department is facing heightened scrutiny due to major discrepancies in the cost of two scientific landfill (SLF) projects, raising concerns about transparency and efficiency. 

The differences in cost have prompted the Additional Commissioner, Prithviraj B.P., to demand an explanation, with officials now scrambling to provide clarity on the matter.

Every day, Pune generates nearly 2,000 tons of waste, of which about 250 to 300 tons consist of "reject waste"—non-recyclable items such as glass, stones, and ceramic materials. 

This waste is disposed of through scientific landfilling, a method that involves isolating waste in scientifically designed landfills to prevent environmental contamination.

To address the space crunch for waste disposal, the Municipal Corporation had last year decided to utilize an 8-acre site in Hadapsar, owned by the Pune Cantonment Board. 

The site was leased to the corporation under an agreement in 2021, and in April last year, a work order was awarded to Bhumi Green, a private company.

The company was tasked with completing the necessary civil works for the scientific landfill, and the total cost was pegged at ₹10.56 crore. 

With the project's completion deadline set for one year (excluding the monsoon period), the work was expected to be finished by September 2024.

In contrast, this year, a new project was initiated at a 4-acre plot owned by the Municipal Corporation in Devachi Uruli, where a similar SLF project is being carried out. 

A tender for the project was awarded to Adarsh Bharat Enviro Pvt. Ltd., with the cost for the civil works estimated at ₹14.72 crore, despite the site being half the size of the Cantonment Board plot.

This cost disparity—₹10.56 crore for 8 acres in Hadapsar versus ₹14.72 crore for 4 acres in Devachi Uruli—has raised serious concerns. Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. has asked the head of the Solid Waste Department, Sandeep Kadam, for an explanation. The matter has caught the attention of both city officials and the public.

When questioned about the delay in the Cantonment Board project, Kadam explained that the project has faced technical delays, including the removal of old equipment and trees. 

This has resulted in only 35-40% of the work being completed so far. The Cantonment Board has requested an extension to complete the remaining work.