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PMC to appoint incident commandant to handle Pune emergencies

The commandant will be responsible of taking control of the affected location and ensure the Incident Response System in operational at the time of the emergency.

3 min readApr 10, 2026 06:49 PM IST

The main objective of the planning will be to stop the loss of lives and minimise property loss along with bringing the situation back to normal. (Express Photo/File)

Ahead of the monsoons, Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to appoint “incident commandants” to ensure swift and effective steps are taken to tackle untoward situations, with the Assistant Municipal Commissioner being entrusted with all important work to save lives and provide relief.

“The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) conducts search, rescue and relief operations during any accident or disaster situation in its jurisdiction. Thus, it is necessary for authorised civic officers to reach the spot immediately to control the situation by coordinating with various other civic or government departments for their availability depending on the intensity and type of accident or disaster. The Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the area under their jurisdiction where the accident or disaster has taken place will now have to work as ‘incident commandant’, said municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram.

Incident commandant’s role

As preparation for any emergency, the commandant has to ensure all necessary equipment like small water pumps, jetting machines, boats, generators and rehabilitation camps are available along with regular inspections and maintenance. A mock drill is also conducted to ensure this equipment is operational in the event of an emergency.

The contact list of all government departments and social organisations will also be be updated frequently.
The commandant will be responsible of taking control of the affected location and ensure the Incident Response System in operational at the time of the emergency.

The main objective of the planning will be to stop the loss of lives and minimise property loss along with bringing the situation back to normal. The rescue operation should be undertaken in coordination with the fire department and medical help through ambulances, civic staff, vehicles and police. If need be, they should get additional manpower and machinery from other government departments. Each civic department will appoint a nodal officer for coordination and provide their contacts to the civic disaster management department.

The commandant is responsible for vacating the affected people with the help of police from the high risk location. PMC and PMPML vehicles should be roped in to treansport affected citizens to rehabilitation and relief camps.

The incident commandant should be given all possible assistance by the civic building construction, drainage, water supply, power supply, road, health, security, solid waste management, vehicle and PMPML departments to handle the emergency.

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The commandant will have to handle all communication with the civic disaster management department by providing information of the incident and measures taken to handle it. After rescue and relief operations, the assessment of damage should be done with the help of collector and police department.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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