Latest news with #PuneMunicipalCorporation
Time of India
6 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
More moderate days in PMC areas in 2024-25: Environmental Status Report
1 2 Pune: The Environmental Status Report published on Tuesday showed deterioration in air quality under PMC areas, with fewer good and satisfactory days and more moderate and very poor days, as far as AQI PM10 levels are concerned, in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24. The data, published by Pune Municipal Corporation, showed Pune had 52 good days in 2024-25, compared to 79 in 2023-24, while the satisfactory days were 137 in 2024-25 against 145 in the previous year. The bad days went up to 3 in 2024-25 compared to just one in 2023-24. The moderate days also increased from 140 in 2023-24 to 174 in 2024-25 in a year's time, as per the data. "Use of fossil fuels and increase in vehicular population could have caused decline in air quality," said Mangesh Dighe, head of PMC's environment department. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune "Efforts are needed to increase the use of public transport. The administration should also create more awareness about vehicular pollution. The use of personal vehicles should be discouraged," said Vaishali Patkar, an environmentalist. Urban planners said increase in urbanisation and a real estate boom driven by redevelopment of old properties were contributing to an increase in pollution. Also, concreting of roads was adversely impacting the environment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo Citizens said open burning of waste was leading to deterioration in air quality in the city. Baner resident Atul Kher said instances of burning in the open were causing health problems. "Instances of burning of waste along nullahs and rivers should be curbed," he said. "The promotion of green-field citizens should be on the cards. Densification near public transport facilities like the Metro should also be done on priority. But while doing so, the administration must ensure that the allied civic infrastructure is built simultaneously," said Ramchandra Gohad, a senior urban planner. The ESR data also showed that the civic areas generated 2,100 tonnes of trash per day in 2023-24, which increased to 2,350 tonnes in 2024-25. Usage of solar power went up nearly two times in a year's time. Citizens consumed 166,513 KW of solar power, out of which 61% was used by domestic users and housing societies, the data said. The data also showed that garbage collection increased by around 150 tonnes per day.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Demand in Uruli-Phursungi to merge back with PMC
Pune: Former corporators and some other residents of Uruli-Phursungi have demanded that the state merge the areas back with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) ahead of the civic poll. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The areas were merged with PMC in 2017 and removed in 2024, with a separate municipal council being formed. The aforementioned group of local residents wants the council scrapped and a return to the PMC administrative arrangement. They have submitted a memorandum to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Phursungi resident Sanjay Harpale said, "The council is not able to work effectively. The whole thing is a mere formality amid lack of manpower and funds, the latter being stuck with the state govt." The group said both villages had around 150 govt staffers to look after issues affecting the areas and it has reduced to 60 after the demerger. The annual revenue generation of the council is expected to be around Rs40 crore — insufficient for development works. "The demerger has caused more problems than improve the situation. Structured growth of infrastructure and civic facilities can gather pace only if the areas are attached to PMC, and thus our demand for a remerger," said Ranjit Raskar, a former gram panchayat member. A section of residents said they were getting facilities including scholarships for students and other health benefits, like dialysis, at discounted rates in civic hospitals while in PMC's jurisdiction. A large number of local residents from financially weaker sections used to gain from many such facilities which stood discontinued after the demerger. Civic officials said the initial proposal for merging 34 villages was approved in 2013-14. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now PMC included 11 villages in its jurisdiction in 2017 following court instructions. Nine villages were partially merged, while Uruli Devachi and Phursungi were fully integrated. PMC expanded to become the largest municipal corporation in the state after including 23 villages in July 2021. In Sept 2024, Uruli Devachi-Phursungi went through a demerger process after many residents raised the demand. Another section of residents said that for years, they have not had basic facilities like drinking water and are troubled by the poor road infrastructure. They have demanded the administration focus on such issues on priority. PMC had two elected members from both the areas. After the municipal council was formed, people's representation was hampered and, more so now, since the areas will not be considered for the delimitation process for civic poll likely to be held in Nov or Dec. Thus, the growing demand from former corporators and some residents.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Pune doubles solar generation in a year but fails to improve air quality
Adopting various environment friendly measures, Pune has doubled the use of renewable energy in a year to meet its daily power supply needs but that did not help improve the city's air quality as it recorded an increase in the number of new vehicles and could not curb the use of conventional methods for cremation. The Environment Status Report (ESR)—published by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for 2024-25 on Tuesday— revealed that the use of solar power in the city has doubled in the year. 'A total of 1,66,513 kW solar power was generated in the city in 2024-25 as against 79,618 kW in 2023-24, which means it has doubled in a year,' said the report. The total power usage in the city was 72,99,888 kW, of which the maximum consumption was in residential areas with 54,44,847 kW. The report stated solar panels generating 50,097 kW were installed in the city in the last one year and 61 per cent of this energy was used by residential buildings. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also given a push to its energy conservation by increasing the LED smart street lights from 1,93,364 in 2023-24 to 2,13,770 in 2024-25 while saving electricity from 50 per cent to 56 percent. The use of water heaters also increased from 72,821 in 2023-24 to 95,707 in 2024-25. As per the ESR, Pune had only 52 good days and 137 satisfactory days of air quality in 2024-25 as against 79 good days and 145 satisfactory days in 2023-24. The very poor days and poor days increased from one to three while moderate days increased from 140 in 2023-24 to to 174 in 2024-25. There was an addition of 3,02,760 new vehicles in 2024-25, which is an increase of over 10,000 from the previous year. Of the new vehicles. maximum were petrol vehicles (1,87,664), followed by 29,613 diesel vehicles, 19,457 are pure electric vehicles, 16,059 CNG only vehicles and the remaining are hybrid. However, it could not reduce the use of traditional pyre for cremation as 44 percent of cremations in the city continued to take place with wood pyre while only 33 percent cremations were done in electric facilities and 23 percent in gas facilities in 2024-25. Meanwhile, the PMC continued with its effort to tackle air pollution in the city by using environment friendly fuel run vehicles for public transport as 1,734 PMPML buses, including 1,244 CNG run buses and 490 electric buses, constitute the 88 per cent fleet of PMPML, which is helping reduce air pollution. Now, only 227 diesel buses are in the PMPML fleet. The report stated 490 electric buses have plied over 5 crore km and helped reduce 7,000 tonne of carbon emission. The city received good rainfall of 1,311 mm last year as against 536.70mm in 2023-24 but there was an increase in maximum and minimum temperature in 2024-2025. The maximum temperature increased to 41.8 degree Celsius in 2024-25 as against 41 degree Celsius in 2023-2024 while minimum temperature registered was 7.8 degree Celsius in 2024-2025 as against 7.4 degree Celsius in 2023-24. Citizens getting affected due to vector-borne diseases were higher in 2024-25 as the city recorded 4,958 dengue patients and 485 chikungunya cases as against 3,377 dengue patients and 40 chikungunya cases in 2023-2024. Incidentally, there was not a single malaria case registered in the city last year as against 11 in its previous year. The Covid cases also dropped from 3,235 in 2023-24 to 566 in 2024-25 while GBS cases were 198 in 2023-24 and 205 in 2024-2025. It also stated that 85,133 stray dogs sterilisation was done since 2018 so the birthrate of stray dogs decreased by 42.87 percent.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra govt accuses PMC of polluting Ujjani dam
Pressing to clear Rs 722 crore dues for additional use of water, the Maharashtra government on Monday accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of polluting the Ujjani dam downstream of Mutha river by releasing untreated sewage water in the river. The state water resource department minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil had convened a meeting to discuss the issues of his department with the PMC. This was attended by state minister Madhuri Misal and other city legislators including Hemant Rasane, Siddarth Shirole, Sunil Kamble, Bhimrao Tapkir and Bapu Pathare. The state minister pointed out that the state government had approved 14 TMC water for Pune city to meet the demand of 80 lakh population, but the civic body was using 22 TMC water in a year. 'The consumption of water by Pune city is far above the set per capita use. This is leading to less water availability for irrigation purposes and 40,000 hectares of agricultural land in the rural part of Pune district is getting affected due to less water for irrigation,' said Vikhe Patil. He said the PMC should recycle 80 percent of water it is consuming every year and make it available for irrigation and industries but it was only recycling 30 percent of the total consumption. 'The PMC has also admitted to leakage of water so it should reduce that. It should also recycle the water which will help it in reducing additional water consumption of 8 TMC,' minister said. 'Moreover, the PMC by releasing untreated sewage water in Mutha river is polluting the Ujjani dam downstream of the river. So, the pending dues of Rs 722 crore with PMC includes charges for additional use of water and penalty for polluting the river,' he alleged, adding that the urbanisation around Pune city is also polluting the dam water for which the state government is planning project to set up Sewage Treatment Plants for rural part villages alongside the river. Pune city's water demands are increasing and the civic body is supplying water through 2000 tankers to the recently merged 32 villages in PMC limits, he said. The PMC has different opinions on the issues so it has been decided to constitute a task force with top officials of PMC and the state water resource department to carry out detailed study and resolve the differences. The study of leakages, steps for recycling more water, fixing the amount of pending dues, additional use of water will be discussed by the task force, Vikhe-Patil said adding that the encroachment of land by the state water resource department will also be studied and the land would be cleared to use for another purpose. The district collector will take action against illegal structures alongside the Mutha river that are polluting the water body and the water resource department would take up desilting of dams, he also said that the state government would seek 10 TMC water from Mulshi dam to meet the increasing water demand of other areas witnessing rapid urbanisation. The project for saving water through leakage, evaporation and theft from the canal has been taken up, and the environmental clearance for it will be obtained soon, Vikhe-Patil said, adding that the land that will be free after a tunnel canal is constructed. BJP legislator Hemant Rasane said that there is a dispute between PMC and the state water resource department on the amount of water used by the civic body. 'It has been going on for a long time so we demanded a task force to study and resolve it. The PMC will soon set up sufficient capacity sewage treatment plants to only release treated water in Mutha river. However, there is urbanisation outside city limits which is also contributing to pollution,' he said. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Pune Municipal Corporation draws 8 TMC more than quota, needs to treat 80% of water, says minister
Pune: State water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Monday said that Pune Municipal Corporation is annually utilising around 22 TMC of water from the dams, which is 8 TMC more than its sanctioned quota. He, however, clarified that there is no plan to curtail the city's existing usage, but the civic body needs to treat 80% of the water and make it available for farming purposes. Patil announced the formation of a task force comprising officials from PMC and the irrigation department, which will suggest in two months measures to improve water treatment and reduce wastage that is currently pegged at 40%. State govt is working on a proposal to fetch an additional 10 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Mulshi dam for the city's drinking needs. PMC has been demanding an "official" increase in the water quota to 21 TMC, citing a rise in population and merger of 23 areas with the corporation. Patil held a meeting at the civic headquarters where MLAs Hemant Ranse, Sunil Kamble, Siddharth Shirole, Bhimrao Tapkir, and Bapu Pathare, along with minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal were present. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune "There is no question of giving less water to the city, as PMC is already drawing around 22 TMC a year. The administration, however, needs to improve water treatment, which is around 30% at present, and take it to 80%. For this, the treatment plants will have to be upgraded, and more such plants will have to be set up. These efforts are to make more water available for agriculture purposes. About 40,000 hectares of farm land from Indapur, Daund, Purandar talukas are not getting adquate water. The task force will study all these issues," Patil told the media later. While the irrigation department has claimed dues and fines amounting to Rs722 crore from PMC, the civic body has disputed the claim. "The task force will also discuss these issues" the minister said. Ranse said the civic administration and irrigation department officials should sit together to find out how much water the city is getting, the quantity of water being recycled, and the amount going to farms. Shirole said there is a need to prepare a plan for the city's water requirement for the next 30 years. Action against encroachments along dams Patil said steps are being taken to restrict the release of untreated water into the dams and action will be taken against illegal constructions around the reservoirs. "Govt is planning to go ahead with a approach wherein sewage treatment plants for villages located along the dams will be built in clusters," he added.
