Pune: The Pune Air Action Hub has urged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to take immediate action to reduce air pollution caused by nighttime bonfires (shekotis). The organization has requested PMC to issue directives to housing societies and property owners, emphasizing the need to adopt alternative measures for keeping night staff warm during the winter.

Nighttime bonfires, often lit by security personnel, burn for hours and release pollutants into the air. Lower winter temperatures trap these pollutants closer to the ground, exacerbating air quality issues during the early morning when residents head out for walks, schools, or offices.

Recommended Measures

The Hub has recommended that PMC issue a circular to societies and property owners specifying the following:

• Providing enclosed cabins for night staff or security guards.

• Supplying adequate winter clothing such as sweaters, mufflers, caps, socks, and blankets.

• Offering electric heaters as a safer alternative to bonfires.

The letter referenced similar initiatives in Delhi, where electric heaters are mandatory for construction workers. A prior recommendation for Resident Welfare Associations to provide such heaters was also made by the Delhi government.

The Hub highlighted that societies or property owners could be fined for open waste burning under the Maharashtra State Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws, July 2019, if night staff resort to burning waste for warmth. It also emphasized the need to educate security guards about the health risks of smoke inhalation, particularly when air quality is already poor.

“Our society in Viman Nagar has not received any notice. We’ve already provided warm clothing, blankets, and a shelter for our security staff. Fires are usually lit late at night, and charred remains are visible in the morning,” said Raja Subramani, Lunkad Heritage, Viman Nagar.