PMC makes air quality sensors mandatory for big real estate projects in Pune
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made it mandatory for large real estate projects worth over ₹500 crore to install air quality sensors at construction sites. These sensors will send real-time data on pollution levels to the civic body’s central dashboard.
The decision comes after repeated complaints that developers were not following pollution control guidelines set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “Developers were expected to take steps such as erecting tall tin sheets around sites, sprinkling water to control dust, and washing vehicle wheels before they hit city roads. However, most have shown a lacklustre approach, and air pollution continues to rise,” said Santosh Warule, Deputy Municipal Commissioner in charge of the Civic Environment Department.
A task force has now been set up to decide the type of sensors that will be made compulsory. These devices cost between ₹40,000 and ₹4 lakh depending on the parameters they track. Once installed, they will record PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles and automatically send the data online. If pollution at a site crosses the permissible limit, the PMC will direct the developer to act immediately. Non-compliance will invite penalties.
The move follows a similar policy adopted by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). In Pune, the plan will be implemented with support from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and World Resources Institute (WRI) India, an environmental non-profit.
City Engineer Prashant Waghmare said that with the real estate boom and ongoing road works, air quality in Pune has deteriorated sharply. Installing sensors at construction sites, he added, is a necessary step to protect citizens’ health.
