PMC Plans to Restrict Drying Clothes in Balcony Along Pune’s Main Roads, Residents Object

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is considering restrictions on drying clothes on balconies facing major roads and thoroughfares, a proposal that has drawn objections from residents who say it interferes with their domestic lives.

Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram shared the proposal during the civic body’s ‘Swachh Samvaad’ programme organised by the Solid Waste Management Department. The administration plans to prepare detailed guidelines, including implementation measures, public awareness and penalties for non-compliance, within seven days. The proposed restriction is still under evaluation and is not yet an active citywide ban.

The PMC’s stated objective is to improve the city’s visual appearance by addressing what it considers visual pollution along major roads.

The civic body is also working on measures to prevent vacant plots from becoming dumping grounds. These could require owners to install green protective netting and fencing around their properties.

Separately, the PMC is considering free sanitation and waste collection services in slum clusters, where compliance with waste collection fees is low. The civic administration has also acknowledged concerns over the maintenance of public toilets.

Residents and civic activists have questioned the proposed laundry restrictions, arguing that balconies are often the only practical spaces available for drying clothes in apartments. They have urged the PMC to prioritise issues such as illegal hoardings, overhead cables, footpath encroachments and sanitation.

Ram also highlighted the scale of Pune’s civic administration, citing a population approaching 80 lakh, an annual budget of Rs 16,000 crore and a workforce of approximately 25,000 employees.