Pune Municipal Corporation is ramping up its cleanliness campaign around Lohegaon Airport after bird strikes and stray dogs on the runways raised serious safety alarms. The drive targets illegal waste dumping and aims to tidy up private lands, promising visible improvement to the area in a matter of weeks.
PMC sprang into action after a thorough field survey led by Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. He, along with senior officers, toured Lohegaon, Wagholi, and Kharadi to assess the problem firsthand. The survey found mounds of trash piling up on private plots, many of which were owned by real estate developers. These vacant lands, often misused by residents for dumping, have frustrated the city’s waste management system. With so many underused plots crowding the airport’s edge, the risk to flights—and the city’s cleanliness—has reached a tipping point. Air traffic authorities, along with the Indian Air Force (IAF), which oversees Pune Air Force Station, have long warned about the dangers associated with waste accumulation near the airport. Fresh bird strikes and stray dogs spotted on the runway have made these worries even more urgent.
To mitigate these hazards, the PMC has enhanced garbage collection by implementing a three-shift schedule for waste pickup. At the same time, a special dog-catching team has been established to patrol the airport perimeter twice a week. The main aim is to reduce the litter that attracts animals and to keep strays safely outside sensitive areas, where they could lead to flight delays or even accidents. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is making it crystal clear that private landowners who allow garbage to pile up will face serious consequences. They’ve sent out a formal notice demanding owners clean up their plots within seven days. At the same time, PMC is running awareness campaigns to educate residents and shopkeepers about the risks of disposing of trash in the wrong place.
“We’ve seen a big jump in cleanliness in Lohegaon lately, but we’re not stopping now,” a PMC official said. “Our mission is to keep pushing until every corner is clean, safe, and friendly to the environment.” The plan is straightforward: to turn the entire area into a cleaner and safer place for everyone, while ensuring the nearby airport remains efficient and secure. PMC is also thinking long-term about trash. The next big step is to set up a biomining plant at the Hadapsar trenching ground, where the Pune Cantonment Board currently sends its garbage. This plant will convert old waste into usable materials and deter large birds from circling trash heaps, which is another issue for airport safety.
While these updates should yield positive results over the next few months, experts agree that it will take everyone—the city team and residents—working together day after day to sustain the gains. Even with the bumps along the way, the Pune Municipal Corporation and the Indian Air Force show that working in partnership is key to building cities that are clean, safe, and genuinely sustainable. The cleanliness initiative planned around Lohegaon Airport will be a significant step toward a greener city that benefits everyone in the long run. As Pune continues to grow, keeping the streets clean and managing waste must remain at the top of the to-do list. That way, the city can meet the demands of its expanding infrastructure while protecting the environment we all share.
