Animal lovers and pet owners in the city are facing a tough time. Reason being three incinerators for large animals run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) continue to remain closed, making it difficult for them to cremate their deceased pets/four-legged friends. So much so that the civic body has been forced to depend on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for disposing the carcasses of large animals, officials said on Friday.
The PMC has a total of four incinerators—three meant for large animals, and one for small animals. The incinerators for large animals, located at Bavdhan and Mundhwa, have been non-operational for several years. Back in October 2023, the civic body had assured that these facilities would be made functional within 15 days however they continue to remain shut.
As per PMC officials, the incinerator at Mundhwa remains closed due to the lack of consent to operate from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) whereas the Bavdhan facility hasn’t yet received permission from the forest department.
Currently, the PMC is relying on two incinerators at Sangamwadi near old Naidu Hospital—one for large animals and one for small animals. However, the incinerator for large animals at Sangamwadi remains shut for the past two months due to pending consent from the MPCB. At present, only the incinerator for small animals is operational, officials said.
“With no functional incinerator for large animals, we are forced to send carcasses to the PCMC for disposal,” a senior PMC official said. He said that the arrangement has also put a financial burden on the civic body. “PMC pays around ₹3,000 to the PCMC for disposing the carcass of one large animal. On an average, we receive around 700 carcasses of small and large animals every month. In the case of pet animals, owners bear the cost, but for stray animals, the expense has to be borne by the PMC,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“With no functional incinerator for large animals, we are forced to send carcasses to the PCMC for disposal,” a senior PMC official said. He said that the arrangement has also put a financial burden on the civic body. “PMC pays around ₹3,000 to the PCMC for disposing the carcass of one large animal. On an average, we receive around 700 carcasses of small and large animals every month. In the case of pet animals, owners bear the cost, but for stray animals, the expense has to be borne by the PMC,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Neehal More, an animal lover, said that this is a waste of public money as the incinerators at Mundhwa and Bavdhan were set up using large funds but remain unutilised. “Now the closure of incinerators for large animals has become a serious concern for animal lovers and residents. It not only delays the dignified disposal of dead animals but also poses health and hygiene risks. The civic body must urgently make its facilities operational instead of depending on another corporation,” More said.
Manisha Shekatkar, chief engineer of the electrical department, PMC, said that the civic body is in the process of resolving regulatory hurdles. “We have submitted all required documents and fees for the incinerator at Naidu Hospital, and we are likely to get the consent to operate soon. The Mundhwa incinerator was shut down due to pollution concerns, but we are following up with MPCB officials. We hope to start both facilities shortly,” she said.
Shekatkar further said that the incinerator at Bavdhan will be shifted to a new location. “A site has been identified at Bopodi, where the entire incinerator facility from Bavdhan will be relocated. Once all incinerators become operational, the load on a single facility will reduce significantly,” she said.