Pune aims to become a zero-landfill city by 2015. With a range of solid waste management options like localised biogas plants and composting facilities, and policies that encourage door-to-door waste collection and segregation, the target does not seem too ambitious. However, the city municipal corporation needs to ensure it does not fall into the trap of easy answers as it seeks to enhance its waste processing capacity. Bengaluru, on the other hand, is forced by a high court order to do what Pune is already doing. But due to shoddy implementation, the city is still drowning in waste. Arnab Pratim Dutta reports from Pune and Aparna Pallavi from Bengaluru