Residents near Pachubandar Road in Vasai West have alleged that municipal sanitation workers have been bringing waste to a garbage site that has reportedly remained closed for several years, raising concerns over illegal dumping, recurring fires and smoke-related health problems.
The allegations were reported by Loksatta on September 11. According to the report, the site has been used for waste dumping over the past year despite its earlier closure. Residents have demanded that the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation stop waste disposal at the location.
The report also attributes the recurring fires to unidentified people or individuals linked to scrap trading who allegedly burn waste to recover copper and other metals. The fires are said to release smoke across the surrounding area.
Residents have reported breathing difficulties, coughing, throat irritation, eye irritation and other respiratory complaints after the smoke spreads through the neighbourhood. The report does not establish the cause of the fires independently, and the allegations about municipal workers and scrap-related burning remain claims by residents.
The Pachubandar development comes as concerns over alleged irregularities at the Bhoydapada garbage site in Vasai are also being discussed. Together, the complaints point to continuing questions over how waste is being handled at old or closed disposal locations in the Vasai-Virar region.
Residents are seeking a formal ban on dumping at Pachubandar and action to prevent further fires. The civic authorities’ response and any inquiry into the allegations will determine whether waste was being transported to the site and who was responsible for the fires.
