Pune May Restrict Construction Activities to 8 AM–8 PM Amid Rising Resident Complaints
Pune: Construction Activity Restricted To 14 Hours Daily; Key Details Inside ( Representative Image )
Growing concerns among residents over noise and disturbance from late-night construction work have prompted the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to consider introducing fixed working hours for construction activities across the city.
According to officials, the civic body is preparing a proposal that would allow construction work only between 8 am and 8 pm in Pune and nearby areas. The plan will soon be submitted to the municipal commissioner for approval, and once cleared, it is expected to be implemented as a citywide regulation.
City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar said the proposed restriction comes after the civic administration received numerous complaints from residents about construction work continuing late into the night. In several parts of the city, work reportedly begins as early as 6 am and continues until late evening or even midnight, creating significant inconvenience for people living nearby.
Apart from addressing noise disturbances, the civic body has also been focusing on the environmental impact of construction activities. PMC has already made it compulsory for developers to implement measures aimed at reducing air pollution caused by construction work. Developers are required to follow specific guidelines and precautions at project sites to control dust and related pollution.
At the same time, the municipal administration has intensified its drive against unauthorised constructions across the city. Pawaskar said the civic body is working on mechanisms to recover the cost of demolition operations from property owners once illegal structures are removed.
Residents in several central areas and suburbs have repeatedly complained that construction work often continues until 10 pm or later, leading to constant noise and disturbance in residential neighbourhoods. The issue was also raised with the city engineer by local corporators Punit Joshi and Bapu Mankar, who demanded stricter rules to limit late-night construction activity.
In another step aimed at curbing pollution, PMC has made it mandatory for large construction projects — particularly those spread across more than 5,000 square metres — to install air quality sensors at their sites to monitor environmental impact.
Meanwhile, Additional Municipal Commissioner Prithviraj B. P. said the administration will also establish a dedicated system to recover demolition expenses from property owners when illegal structures are taken down. He noted that existing legal provisions already allow the civic body to reclaim such costs.
If approved, the proposed time restriction is expected to provide relief to residents who have long complained about disruptions caused by round-the-clock construction, while also helping the civic administration strengthen its efforts to regulate building activity and reduce pollution in the city.
