Massive Crackdown on Pollution: 1,623 Polluters Fined ₹74.88 Lakh in Twin Cities
In a major crackdown on pollution, Pune’s civic authorities have fined 1,623 individuals and companies ₹74.88 lakh for violating anti-pollution rules and illegal plastic use. The drive, part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), targets construction dust, waste disposal, and polluting industries, aiming for cleaner air and better public health.
Mrudula Narale
Pune, April 29, 2025: Taking a firm step against deteriorating air quality, civic officials have initiated a crackdown enforcement drive, fining 1,623 persons and companies for violating anti-pollution rules and unauthorised use of plastic. In the last five months, as much as ₹74.88 lakh in fines have been issued to industrial and residential localities where indiscriminate construction, stone crushers, and concrete units have extensively harmed air quality and exposed residents to serious health hazards.
The crackdown is part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a tech-supported initiative launched in December last year in association with a top computing research facility. The plan utilizes sophisticated monitoring systems in combination with on-ground actions such as air purifiers, dust suppression equipment, and mechanized street sweepers to tackle pollution hotspots. Sprinklers have been placed on major intersections to minimize dust, with mobile surveillance teams conducting daily checks. There has been deployment of a special task force comprising a project manager, four supervisors, and 32 field personnel to impose compliance.
The authorities are targeting on several fronts—curbing dust in construction, ensuring safe disposal of waste, banning diesel generators, and closing heavily polluting industries.Repeat offenders are being fined higher amounts, with specific attention to construction sites breaching dust-control regulations. At the same time, the campaign has ramped up enforcement against illegal use of plastic, with raids on retailers and warehouses that stock banned single-use plastics.
Health officials caution that long-term exposure to dirty air increases risks of respiratory and cardiovascular ailments, leading the civic authority to take a zero-tolerance policy. “Our teams are working day and night to penalize offenders, particularly in high-risk industries such as construction and manufacturing,” a senior official said.
In the future, the GRAP system will grow with increased air quality checkposts, increased fines for frequent offenders, and awareness campaigns among people to induce green practices. Citizens are asked to report environment offences as the administration urges the introduction of lasting change in the quality of air. With air pollution reaching its tipping point in some regions, this tough stance is a watershed moment towards public health protection and returning cleaner skies.
