Pune: Residents of Bavdhan Demand Closure of Illegal RMC Plants Amid Pollution Crisis
Bavdhan, 29th October 2025: The residents of Bavdhan, a bustling suburb of Pune, have raised their voices against the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and the District Collector’s Office. They accuse these authorities of turning a blind eye to seven illegal ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants operating within residential and defense-sensitive zones in the area.
According to local residents, these RMC units have been functioning for several months without the mandatory environmental permissions, causing severe air pollution and health hazards for over 10,000 citizens in the vicinity. The residents have reported a significant increase in respiratory issues, including asthma and bronchitis, which they attribute to the dust and particulate matter emitted by the RMC plants.
Despite numerous written complaints — including over 25 emails, 35 follow-ups, and several formal letters — residents claim that authorities have failed to take decisive action. “Officials issue hollow notices, conduct superficial site visits, and then close files without any real enforcement,” said a Bavdhan resident, calling the situation a “paper-pushing circus.”
Residents further alleged that during an air quality inspection by an MPCB monitoring van, the RMC operators deliberately sprayed water near the vehicle to artificially lower pollution readings. However, no corrective action was taken by the authorities despite the incident being reported. This has only added to the frustration and mistrust of the local community.
Environmental activist and lawyer Adv. Krunnal Gharre, who has received multiple complaints from across Pune, criticized the official apathy. “It’s not the citizens’ job to control illegal RMC plants. It’s disheartening that people must beg for their right to breathe clean air while authorities behave like Gandhiji’s monkeys — not by blocking evil, but by supporting it. We now have enough evidence to prove deliberate inaction, and a legal case will be filed soon,” Gharre said.
Residents allege that the continued silence of MPCB and PMRDA amounts not to mere inefficiency but to wilful negligence, allowing environmental violations to persist unchecked. They have organized several protests and awareness campaigns to draw attention to the issue, but their efforts have so far yielded little result.
Civic activists have demanded immediate closure of all illegal RMC units in Bavdhan and stricter monitoring of pollution levels to safeguard public health and environmental safety. They have also called for a thorough investigation into the allegations of corruption and negligence, urging the authorities to take immediate and effective action.
The situation in Bavdhan highlights the broader issue of environmental regulation and the need for stricter enforcement of laws to protect public health. As the residents of Bavdhan continue to fight for their right to a clean and safe environment, the onus is on the authorities to act responsibly and address the concerns of the community.
