Pune: Residents of Dhayari organised a protest on Friday, urging the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to shut down and relocate Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants operating near their neighborhoods.The group, which has formed a dedicated action committee, highlighted that the industrial activity has caused severe environmental degradation and major health concerns within the community.During a press conference, the committee members argued that the presence of the RMC plants within the city limits violates the safety of local inhabitants and insisted that the facilities be moved outside the corporation’s jurisdiction.The committee also pointed out the unregulated movement of heavy machinery and transport vehicles as a primary source of danger, noting that speeding RMC trucks have led to several fatal accidents in the area.Lokesh Bhavekar, one of the residents, described the living conditions as unbearable, citing constant clouds of dust that have triggered widespread respiratory ailments among neighbors.“Cement dust is constantly released into the air. As this dust enters our homes, children and elderly start developing respiratory disorders. Pollution levels in the air have increased manifold due to cement spilling onto the roads from dumper trucks and mixers transporting it,” Anand Khaladkar, another resident, said.The residents also demanded that the PMC should carry out a probe into the alleged stoppage of action against these plants.Earlier this month, the standing committee of the PMC passed a resolution to move the RMC plants out of the residential areas.As per the PMC officials, action on these plants is on the cards in days to come. “Inspection of the plants is underway. The PMC is cross-verifying with authorities like MPCB whether the permissions were issued to these plants or not. Future course of action will be decided accordingly,” a senior official from PMC’s building permission department said.
