Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has witnessed a significant drop in its ranking in the state’s prestigious environmental initiative, Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, which is conducted by the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

From securing the fourth position in the 2022-23 rankings, PMC has fallen to the 10th position in 2023-24, raising concerns about the efficacy of its environmental conservation efforts despite substantial financial investments.

Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, an annual initiative by the state government, aims to promote environmental conservation and sustainability among local self-governing bodies.

The campaign encourages innovative projects and initiatives focusing on the five elements of nature—water, air, fire, earth, and space. The competition sees participation from urban and rural bodies, with a comprehensive evaluation based on measures implemented for environmental protection and conservation.

The latest rankings, announced on Friday (September 27) night, saw participation from 414 urban bodies and 22,218 gram panchayats across the state. The evaluation criteria included a mix of documented efforts and on-field assessments.

For cities with a population exceeding 10 lakhs, PCMC emerged as the top performer, followed by Navi Mumbai and Thane Municipal Corporations in the second and third positions, respectively.

In contrast, Pune, which had maintained a consistent fourth position over the past two years, has now dropped to the 10th spot.

The results have prompted scrutiny of PMC's ongoing initiatives. Despite implementing multiple environmental projects and spending crores on sustainability measures, the steep decline in the city’s ranking highlights potential gaps in execution and effectiveness.