Pune Municipal Corporation Garbage Van Disposing Collected Waste Directly In Mula-Mutha River.

Pune, Maharashtra; February 2026: In a most weird shocking public incident, a Pune Municipal Corporation Garbage Van was found disposing collected waste directly into the Mula-Mutha River in Pune City. Upon a discreet enquiry local inhabitants have complained that the practice is continuing for years when local authorities have failed to initiate punitive actions even after regular representation from societal watchdogs.

Throwing trash into a river like this can have significant impacts on the health of both the aquatic ecosystem and the people who live near and rely on it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aquatic trash is a risk to wildlife that can get tangled or trapped in it, and it can leach toxins into the water, harming the ecosystem further. On top of that, plastic waste breaks down into microplastics, which can actively harm fish and other aquatic life by hindering their ability to feed or by entering their bloodstream when ingested.

But trash doesn’t just impact the ecosystem; it can also impact human health by tainting the water that residents rely on for drinking and bathing. Improperly disposing of trash is also expensive; according to the EPA, once trash is in the ecosystem, removing it is far more costly than simply disposing of it properly.

While Pune is fighting back against illegal dumping; a 24/7 surveillance program has led to almost 4,000 people being fined for it. Seeing an official garbage van pollute it like this was just painful to watch. Localites were understandably furious about the video.

“What the actual hell is happening in this city”, said one. “Every other week I am getting into an altercation with strangers who litter on public streets and now seeing stuff like this just boils my blood. They’ve been doing this for years, they used to do this on Wakad-Hinjewadi bridge for years but stopped due to traffic issues”, said another.

We often blame citizens for littering, but what happens when the system that’s supposed to protect our environment is the one polluting it? This isn’t a small mistake it’s a reflection of how casually waste management is being handled in Pune.

Team Maverick.