Maharashtra is facing a waste-management crisis, with the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report exposing lapses in garbage collection across the state leading to millions of tonnes of waste left uncollected. Despite rapid urbanisation, the state’s waste-collection efficiency has declined, exposing governance failures and poor planning by municipal authorities.
According to the report, Maharashtra generated a staggering 168.75 million metric tonnes of waste between 2018 and 2024. However, only 132.19 million metric tonnes were collected and processed, leaving behind 36.5 million metric tonnes of uncollected waste. This failure has led to increasing pollution, blocked drainage systems, and deteriorating sanitation conditions, especially in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik.
One of the most alarming revelations in the report is the 22 per cent decline in garbage collection efficiency between 2021 and 2022. Experts warn that this sharp drop indicates a systematic failure in managing urban waste. The report highlights poor implementation of waste-management policies, lack of modern technology, and insufficient manpower as key reasons for this crisis. Overflowing garbage bins and uncollected waste are not just an aesthetic problem—they pose serious health risks. Accumulated garbage attracts rodents, stray animals, and disease-carrying insects, increasing the spread of infections like dengue, malaria, and respiratory diseases. Furthermore, improper disposal of solid waste contaminates groundwater and deteriorates air quality, adding to environmental degradation in major cities.
The CAG report has placed the Maharashtra government under scrutiny, urging immediate corrective measures. While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and power minister Nitin Raut have acknowledged the findings, no concrete action plan has been announced to tackle the issue. The report suggests that local municipal corporations should take greater responsibility and be held accountable for their failure to manage waste effectively.
Experts believe that the only way to resolve the crisis is through strict implementation of waste-management policies. The government must focus on improving garbage collection efficiency through better monitoring and accountability, investing in advanced waste processing and recycling technologies to handle increasing waste volumes, encouraging waste segregation at source to promote responsible disposal, introducing penalties for municipal corporations that fail to meet waste management standards, and creating awareness campaigns to educate citizens on responsible waste disposal and recycling practices.