Pune’s Air Quality Worsens Amid Rising Vehicle Numbers and Construction Activity: PMC Report

Pune, 31st July 2025: Pune’s air quality has taken a hit over the past year, as rising vehicular traffic, ongoing construction across the city, and increased instances of waste burning have led to a noticeable decline in air quality standards. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in its annual environmental report released on Wednesday, highlighted a concerning drop in the number of days with good and satisfactory air quality in 2024-25, compared to the previous year.

The report, released without any interpretation or recommendations, revealed that the city recorded only 52 good air quality days in 2024-25, a significant fall from 79 in 2023-24. The number of satisfactory days also dropped slightly from 145 to 137. In contrast, the number of average air quality days rose from 140 to 174, and poor air quality days increased from just one in 2023-24 to three in 2024-25. However, PMC officials have not disclosed the specific dates on which these three poor air quality days occurred.

One of the primary factors contributing to the deteriorating air quality is the continuous surge in vehicle registrations. As of July 2025, Pune has a total of 41,25,968 registered vehicles, a jump from 38,63,849 in 2023-24. In 2024 alone, 3,02,760 new vehicles were added to the city’s roads, and in just the first seven months of 2025, an additional 1,44,899 vehicles have been registered. With the majority of these being petrol and diesel-powered, and the adoption of electric vehicles still lagging, vehicular emissions remain a major pollutant.

The report also points to extensive construction activities in both central Pune and its suburbs as another major contributor to declining air quality. While the civic body claims that measures are being taken to control dust, the impact of such initiatives appears limited. Moreover, the widespread practice of burning waste in open areas and along roadsides continues unabated, further polluting the city’s air.

Despite spending crores on environmental protection measures, PMC’s efforts have failed to produce tangible improvements. Environmental experts have raised concerns over the lack of accountability and absence of a concrete action plan in the report. They have urged the civic body to take urgent, data-backed steps to curb pollution and ensure better air quality for Pune’s residents.