Overview
- The Environmental Status Report, presented to the PMC General Body on Wednesday, confirms steady increases in PM2.5, NO2 and ground‑level ozone across 2021–2025.
- Six monitoring stations show persistent hotspots, with Shivajinagar, Lohegaon, Katraj, Pune University and Pashan recording annual PM10 levels above the national limit of 60 µg/m³.
- The report assigns primary blame to vehicular emissions, fuel combustion and construction dust and recommends mandatory cleaner fuels for businesses, a ban on open waste burning and sensor‑based dust monitoring at large sites.
- Electric mobility has grown rapidly with a 62% rise in pure EV registrations and PMPML’s e-bus fleet at 535 vehicles, but the ESR finds these gains have not yet reversed citywide pollution trends.
- The ESR warns rising PM2.5 and NO2 increase risks of asthma, chronic respiratory and heart disease and premature death, and the PMC plans an epidemiological survey to link air data with health outcomes.