Pune: After nearly two years of protests, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday demolished illegal structures, including tin sheds and other construction, surrounding five ready-mix concrete (RMC) units in Bavdhan .




These plants were allegedly operating without the required permissions from PMC and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).




The illegal constructions, which were spread across 35,000 sqft for these plants, were demolished in an operation by the building permission department, anti-encroachment department, and sky sign department. MSEDCL, however, also acted against these plants and disconnected the power supply.




In a series of protests, residents recently started an online campaign against seven alleged ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants in their locality, reporting that over 2,000 emails were sent to govt authorities over the past few days.




According to residents, multiple RMC plants were still functioning in the area despite two years of grievances, inspections, and notices from official bodies such as Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and district administration.




“The civic administration had received complaints about these plants. Beyond demolition, other actions were also carried out against these plants, including snapping power supply and sealing operating rooms,” Aniruddha Pawaskar, city engineer of PMC, told TOI.




According to PMC officials, the plants were set up near HEMRL organisation. The administration had also demolished illegal furniture shops and workshops in this vicinity.




Residents have been alleging that dust from these plants causes respiratory issues, and the movement of a large number of heavy vehicles is leading to constant traffic jams. On Tuesday, they took out another march, urging PMC to ensure the plants remain shut.




Shreekumar Nair (75), a resident, said the air was saturated with cement particles day and night from these RMC units and it was causing respiratory issues, especially among children and senior citizens. “Almost everybody is always sick, either with a cough, watery eyes, or infections. We started living in Bavdhan two years ago and we have seen the pollution levels increasing day by day. You park a car for a few minutes in the area and a layer of cement immediately forms on it. The issue has grown to such high proportions that at this age, I am forced to protest,” Nair told TOI.




The problem becomes evident whenever traffic from the Bengaluru-Pune Highway spills onto the road leading to Puraniks Abitante society. Thick dust fills the air, causing watery eyes, scratchy throats and irritated noses.




The road from New India National School towards the RMC plants is blanketed in grey dust. The kuccha stretch has been buried under cement and fine dust particles that are continuously blown into the air by the wind.




Dushyant Bhatia, a resident, said that during the rains, slurry flows onto the road, making it dangerous for two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Heavy vehicles constantly moving in and out of the plants and onto the narrow roads add to the problem, causing frequent traffic jams.




Payal Thakare (42), another resident, said that almost every four months, the residents protest, not to mention the countless complaints sent to PMC and MPCB helplines, but there has been no respite. “Every time, there were promises. We thought RMC plants would be shut, but the very next day, they started again. We now hope they will remain shut. We never understood how these seven illegal RMC plants in the area were allowed to operate without any permission in the first place. Cement and other dust permeate every aspect of our life at this moment. Even the swimming pool has a layer of cement on the water. We hope PMC also demolishes the machinery soon, and not just the tin sheds surrounding it,” Thakare told TOI.




Kiran Dagade Patil, a local corporator, told TOI that a question he raised at a PMC general body meeting brought to light the plants’ reported lack of permissions, prompting the civic body to act. “There were no permissions and yet they were allowed to operate for so long, which was shocking. Hence we decided to act. Now that PMC has acted, we will ensure that the plants remain shut for good,” said Patil.




While MSEDCL has disconnected the power supply, the question remains: how did the plants manage to get an electricity supply in the first place? A senior MSEDCL engineer said the department would look into the documents submitted by the RMC plants to get the connection.




Residents said they were awaiting action from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). TOI calls to senior MPCB officials remain unanswered till the time of going to press.