The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) reversed its decision to halt construction activities within its limits until November 19 (Sunday) due to an improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI). This blanket ban was put in place earlier in the week to combat escalating pollution levels.
To enhance air quality in the industrial city, the PCMC recently introduced cutting-edge dust suppression fog machines and road washers/sprinklers. PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh showcased these machines in a video on X (formerly Twitter), emphasising their use of treated/recycled water from the city's sewage treatment plants to effectively improve air quality.
Previously, the corporation had issued multiple guidelines to combat air pollution, such as employing metal sheet enclosures for buildings under construction, using green cloth, jute sheets, or tarpaulin on construction sites, and implementing water fogging during the loading and unloading of construction materials.
Additionally, the PCMC had mobilised 16 dedicated teams, including deputy engineers, sanitary inspectors, and civil engineering assistants, to inspect construction sites within their respective wards. These teams were asked to document these sites through photography or videography. If any violations of pollution control provisions are found, they were told to impose fines, issue notices, or even seal non-compliant workplaces.
