In its Environment Status Report 2023-24, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) stated that the vehicle count in the city has reached 38.63 lakh. “There has been an increase in new vehicles on the road, with 2,93,471 added in 2023 compared to 2,54,907 in 2022. This has brought the total number of vehicles in the city to 38,63,849,” the report stated.
Additionally, the report noted that 88% of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) bus fleet operates on clean fuels like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which helps reduce air and noise pollution. "There are 1,187 CNG buses and 473 electric buses. This has contributed to a reduction in carbon emissions by approximately 7,000 tonnes," the report said.
The report also highlighted that 56% of citizens use the environmentally friendly electric crematorium system, which serves as an alternative to traditional open burning. This system reduces air pollution by passing the gas produced from burning through a water scrubber, where the carbon content is absorbed and filtered before being released into the air.
Over the past five years, power consumption in the city has increased by 27.98%, from 60,25,508 kW in 2018-19 to 77,11,532 kW in 2022-23. Solar power generation has risen from 24,614 kW in 2018-19 to 79,618 kW in 2022-23, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the PMC plans to make Pune a carbon-neutral city. "Efforts will focus on carbon emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. The target will be achieved by preparing and implementing a Climate Action Plan,” the report concluded.