Pune Air Action Hub Submits Letter of Recommendations to Environment Department, PMC to Reduce Air Pollution

Pune, 23rd October 2025: In a welcome move, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated direct engagement with civil society organisations to address key environmental concerns in the city. The Environment Department Head, Ravi Pawar, convened a meeting on October 16, 2025, at the PMC headquarters to understand the most pressing issues related to air and river pollution, waste burning, tree cutting, crematoria emissions, and construction-related pollution.

Representatives from around 15 organisations presented their concerns and suggestions during the meeting. Pawar concluded the session by assuring that the issues raised would be taken up for further action in coordination with relevant departments.

Focus Areas Highlighted by Pune Air Action Hub
The Pune Air Action Hub made a detailed presentation on four major areas—emissions from crematoria, waste burning, tree cutting, and the effectiveness of air pollution mitigation systems such as mist fountains and fog cannons. The Hub also submitted a detailed letter outlining its recommendations to the Environment Department on October 22, 2025.

Reducing Crematoria Emissions
Environmental researcher Shweta Vernekar highlighted that crematoria emissions can be significantly reduced by increasing the share of electric and gas cremations. As of June 2025, these account for 54% of all cremations in the city. She suggested proactive dissemination of information about electric and gas crematoria at hospitals and death pass centres, along with expanding such facilities across Pune.

Curbing Garden Waste Burning
Hub member Ravindra Sinha raised concerns about the collection and disposal of garden waste, noting that cases of open burning rise during winter, worsening air quality.

“The issue of garden waste collection becomes especially serious during winters. The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department vehicles are supposed to collect biomass, branches, and dry leaves free of charge once a week, but this system isn’t functioning efficiently. Moreover, societies are often asked to pay for this service, which discourages proper disposal,” Sinha said.

Concerns Over Waste Burning and Ineffective Mitigation Systems
Participants pointed out that the current grievance redressal mechanism for waste burning is weak and lacks prompt enforcement. The Hub has requested a joint meeting with the SWM and Environment Departments to devise a coordinated response to this issue.

Sharmila Deo, Senior Programme Associate at Parisar, questioned the PMC’s reliance on costly air pollution mitigation systems. “Over the past two years, PMC has been investing in mist fountains and fog cannons worth nearly ₹40 lakh. However, there is little scientific evidence that these measures bring long-term air quality improvement. They do not address the pollution sources directly and are not scalable,” she said.

Winter Precaution Advisory
The Environment Department also agreed to issue a circular to housing societies, instructing them to ensure that security guards do not light bonfires for warmth during winter. Instead, PMC will advise societies to provide warm clothing, enclosed cabins, or electric heaters to staff.

Follow-Up and Future Collaboration
The Hub and other participating organisations plan to continue their engagement with the Environment Department to ensure that the discussed measures are implemented effectively. The collaboration is being seen as a positive step towards improving Pune’s environmental governance through participatory dialogue and community-driven solutions.