Pimpri Chinchwad ranks cleanest in Swachh Survekshan

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has been named the cleanest city in Maharashtra among cities with over a million residents in Swachh Survekshan 2025-26. However, residents and civic activists are challenging this recognition. They claim the city requires substantial improvement, particularly in waste segregation and disposal infrastructure. President Droupadi Murmu honored PCMC with the award at a ceremony in New Delhi. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal was among the attendees.

Mayor Ravi Landge and Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi accepted the accolade on behalf of PCMC. Rohit Dokh, a Pimple Saudagar resident, acknowledged the achievement but expressed concerns about ongoing issues. "While the achievement is welcome, I am surprised that PCMC won despite persistent garbage problems," he stated. Dokh advocated for regular garbage collection and stricter source segregation, noting that such practices were enforced under former PCMC Commissioner Rajesh Patil.

Vaishali Dalvi, founder of The Guardian NGO, observed that cleanliness varies across the city. "The situation is good in some areas like Pradhikaran, which is relatively better than other major Maharashtra cities," she said. However, in slum pockets like Bijli Nagar, garbage collection is less frequent, often just once a week, leading to residents discarding waste on roads, exacerbating hygiene and sanitation issues. Dalvi called for transparency about the criteria used to award the recognition.

Pritam Bansode, a college student from Nigdi, questioned the timing of the award, which follows recent fatalities at the Moshi garbage depot. "Nine innocent lives were lost at Moshi's garbage depot, so we shouldn't be proud of this," he said. Bansode supported decentralizing waste depots following the landfill collapse but emphasized the need for more action.

"Efforts should focus on source recycling, like composting, and incentivize this," he stated. Along Bhosari Phata, he pointed out heaps of uncollected garbage and construction debris that have been there for months.

Attempts to reach PCMC’s Health Department for a response to these concerns were unsuccessful.