PCMC seals 14 RMC plants for violation of pollution norms

Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) — as part of its special drive against establishments contributing to air pollution — sealed as many as 14 Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants between April 17 and 21.A senior PCMC official, while talking to TOI, said our nuisance squad teams inspected over 60 RMC plants during the drive."Of these, 14 were found in serious violation of the pollution norms and were immediately sealed, while seven others were issued warnings and directed to comply with the regulations. The violations included absence of dust suppression systems, lack of regular water sprinkling, open storage of raw materials, and failure to implement basic dust control measures such as displays showing AQI and other parameters at the site," the official said.The official added that action is being taken in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on Oct 17, 2025, mandating strict operational standards for the RMC plants.Yogesh Alhat, executive engineer in the PCMC environment department, said a circular mandating strict compliance with the pollution control norms for RMC plants was issued over two weeks ago, following which the enforcement drive was launched."No further notices are being issued to plants found violating norms during the inspection drives. They are directly being sealed and similar action will continue in the future," Alhat said.As per the revised MPCB norms, all RMC plants must obtain clearance under the Orange category and maintain a minimum distance of 200 metres from schools, hospitals and courts, and 50 metres from residential areas. Plants are required to be fully enclosed, with covered storage of raw materials, silos, conveyors, and mixing units.Regular water sprinkling, dust collection systems, green belts, paved internal roads, and enclosed transfer points are mandatory. Additionally, tyre-washing facilities, CCTV surveillance, GPS tracking and proper vehicle cleaning before exit are compulsory.Compliance with PM10 and PM2.5 standards, wastewater treatment and reuse, and adherence to noise and solid waste management rules are also a must. Units outside the industrial zones are permitted to operate only between 6 am and 10 pm.Another senior PCMC official said the civic body had earlier this year sealed 16 RMC plants for violating norms. "The municipal corporation now plans to ensure that all such plants are registered with the PCMC as most are currently registered only with the MPCB and the civic body does not have consolidated data on these units," the official said."Many plants are temporarily set up by the developers to support their ongoing projects and are removed once the work is completed. "fforts are on to consolidate information of each plant in the city," the official added.Sanjay Kulkarni, city engineer and head of the PCMC's environment department, said, "RMC plants and construction projects in the city are required to implement necessary measures for dust control at construction sites. Immediate action is being taken against violators without any compromise."
Get real-time updates and result insights on the UP Board Result 2026, UP Board 10th Result 2026 and UP Board 12th Result 2026