Moshi Garbage Depot Partially Reopens Six Days After Fatal Collapse
The Moshi garbage depot, operated by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), partially resumed waste dumping on Monday, less than a week after a mound of garbage collapsed onto a nearby waste-to-energy plant building, killing nine employees.
The accident occurred on July 8 during heavy rain, when a section of the waste mountain gave way and fell onto the administrative building of a waste-to-energy project. The nine victims were employees of the plant.
PCMC Chief Engineer Pramod Ombase confirmed the partial reopening on Tuesday, stating that only medical waste, CNG-related waste, and kitchen waste are currently being accepted. These are being dumped at a location away from the mishap site to ensure safety.
The depot’s full closure had forced the civic body to divert a major portion of the city’s waste to facilities operated by the Khadki Cantonment Board and at Dehu. The partial reopening is expected to ease some of the burden on these alternate sites.
The incident has raised questions about the safety and management of the Moshi depot, which has been a recurring concern for residents and environmental activists. The PCMC has announced an inquiry into the collapse and promised stricter monitoring of waste dumping practices.
As investigations continue, the civic body has urged residents to cooperate with waste segregation efforts to reduce the volume of mixed waste reaching the depot. The waste-to-energy plant, which was damaged in the collapse, remains closed pending structural assessment.
