Pune: The civic body collected fines worth Rs 88,000 from 154 offenders for garbage burning incidents across the city in November. Officials said complaints in this regard have significantly reduced.The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) also fined 4,299 offenders for dumping garbage, collecting Rs 12.1 lakh in the same month.The solid waste managementdepartments data showed a slight increase over total fines collected for garbage burning in October, which was Rs 87,800 from 171 offenders.But in October, fines collected for garbage dumping were more than in November, with Rs 17.1 lakh coming in from 5,933 offenders., PMC solid waste management department head Sandeep Kadam said, The complaints dipped after we took strict action. We are continuing with increased vigilance and surveillance of spots where recurring garbage burning takes place. A prominent trend is to burn leaves and such items. Garbage is also burnt regularly in housing societies. We can only try to spread awareness about the implications of this activity.But residents argued that though complaints may have decreased slightly, incidents have not. Open spaces, construction sites, near IT parks, etc. are all chronic garbage burning spots. Even after PMC takes action, burning recurs. Sometimes, PMC staffers themselves burn trash. We record at least two or three incidents of garbage burning daily. A lot of smoke is created especially on open plots, where large heaps are burnt. It is a severe issue in Kharadi, said Deepak Patil, chairman of the Kharadi Housing Society Welfare Association.Citizens added that during winter, such incidents rise as civic staffers and labour camp residents try to induce warmth through these fires. There is no proactive communication from PMC regarding this. Action is only taken when we file complaints. If regular surveillance is done and people are educated about the pollution implications, maybe it can be reduced. It is extremely dangerous for senior citizens and others residing close to these dumps, added Patil.The frustration is increasing for many residents, who have decided against reporting the issue due to the lack of action. Despite repeated warnings, PMC staffers continue to burn garbage in Lohegaon. Several shops and automobile stores in Viman Nagar dispose of garbage by burning it on a regular basis. In some parts of Viman Nagar, the condition has improved — but Lohegaon is unchanged, said Raja Subramani, a resident of Viman Nagar, also disagreeing with the claim that incidents have decreased.The civic body has already fined 36 people for burning garbage and 443 offenders for dumping garbage in open spaces in the first three days of December.

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