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Polls & Issues: An invisible emergency: Why voters want ‘clean air’ on poll agenda

Cleaner air dominates voters’ wishlist, with many urging candidates to treat air pollution as an emergency — an invisible crisis whose impact is often not immediately tangible.

3 min readPuneJan 6, 2026 07:10 PM IST

In their manifesto, residents have clearly stated that they want a corporator who is “visible, accountable and responsive” to their expectations.

From a zero-tolerance ban on garbage burning and strict enforcement of dust-control norms at construction sites to ward-wise air quality mapping, citizens across Pune have flagged deep concern over the shrinking number of ‘good air’ days ahead of the civic elections.

Cleaner air dominates voters’ wishlist, with many urging candidates to treat air pollution as an emergency — an invisible crisis whose impact is often not immediately tangible.

Monica Sharma, a resident of Kalyaninagar who actively leads and coordinates activities within the Kalyaninagar Citizens’ Forum, said repeated garbage burning, uncovered construction sites and open trucks carrying soil and debris were among the major contributors to air pollution.

“Despite multiple complaints, residents from Kalyaninagar are given token numbers while violations continue unchecked. This toxic air can have long-term health impact and we really want aspirants contesting the elections to ensure that Pune Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board takes action and moves beyond paperwork. There is an immediate need to reduce Air Quality Index (AQI) levels,” Sharma told The Indian Express.

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In their manifesto, residents have clearly stated that they want a corporator who is “visible, accountable and responsive” to their expectations.

At Vimannagar, Anita Hanumante, one of the lead coordinators of the Vimannagar Vikas Samiti, said they were planning a ‘Know Your Candidate’ meeting where air pollution would be taken up as a critical issue.

“We are fed up with encroachments on pavements and roads, especially where food is cooked in the open. These fumes are harmful to air quality and public health in the long run,” Hanumante said.

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Across the city in Pashan, Pushkar Kulkarni from the Pashan Citizens’ Sabha claimed that the Pashan-Sutarwadi area was nothing less than a gas chamber.

“PMC’s false claims of 100 per cent garbage collection are on display every day as chronic garbage dumping and burning spots can be found across this area, especially near the highways and slums. PMC and Swachh workers do not work in unison to ensure 100 per cent doorstep waste collection so that this chronic dumping and burning of garbage can be prevented. PMC has also set up waste feeder points by encroaching on these footpaths,” Kulkarni said, adding that all this eventually leads to health hazards.

From Warrior Moms — a collective of mothers from across the country fighting for children’s right to breathe clean air — Hema Chari, the Maharashtra coordinator and a resident of Pune’s Bhosalenagar, said, “Ahead of the municipal corporation elections we hope that aspirants at least engage on ward-wise mapping of air quality to measure pollutants and give us the correct picture.”

Ranjit Gadgil, programme director of Parisar, an NGO focused on sustainable urban development, said that in its charter of demands for a safe, sustainable and healthy Pune, the organisation had called for an overhaul of the complaint mechanism to ensure timely and effective resolution of air pollution-related grievances.

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“We have also urged that pollution control systems should be set up at crematoria,” Gadgil added.

For Ameet Singh, an environmentalist based in Shivajinagar, it is crucial that corporators, cutting across party lines, ensure the implementation of an Emissions Grid to track pollution sources across the city.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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