Pune Municipal Corporation Research Articles

A Descriptive Analysis of Human-Environment Interactions in the Suburban Area of Pune City

The Baner-Balewadi was a rural area that transformed into a residential suburb and is now metamorphosing into a commercial and educational hub of Pune city. This area is now a part of Pune Municipal Corporation and is occupied by various schools, universities, and IT companies. The decadal population growth rate of the Baner-Balewadi area is 275%; it is much higher than the Pune district’s and city’s growth rate, which makes it a fascinating area for this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in this area covering three major regions: Balewadi Highstreet, Baner-Balewadi road, and NICMAR University. The data for 15 parameters were gathered, a total of 38 survey samples were collected using stratified random sampling, and land use was mapped to understand the grassroots reality. Thereafter, the parameters were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique, and spider mapping was used for data presentation. The strengths and challenges regarding infrastructural services, transportation, socio-economic factors, environment, and land use were identified. The results show that the waste collection is strong, but there are drinking water issues in the area. The recent development is causing stress on the infrastructural services and unregulated land-use change leading to environmental degradation. The metro construction is causing a lot of noise and air pollution, and people will still prefer buses as a transportation medium in the future because of good connectivity. The study is concluded with area-wise parametric recommendations made after examining the advancement, challenges, and gaps identified at the grassroots from both stakeholders’ and experts’ perspectives.

Habits & Attitude of Householders About Solid Waste Management in Pune City

Solid waste management is one of the challenges faced by many cities. Poor solid waste management will lead to various problems in health, environment, and socio-economic aspects. Pune has been innovative in its solid waste management. To help achieve this the city has tied up with a group of marginalized women at the forefront of a campaign to clean the city. Through an agreement with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), more than 3,000 women workers provide door-to-door waste collection services to over 600,000 homes in the city, The waste generators, i.e. the householders are major part of the waste management process. Their attitude and habit about the waste generated in the household and how it is handed to the municipal corporation affects the whole waste management of the city. In this study descriptive quantitative questioner was prepared by researcher. A total 708 respondents or the householder participated in this study. Results show that people are more aware about the disposal of dry waste even its is smaller part of the composition of the total waste. It also shows that there is a rational bias when it comes to peoples’ belief and their actions when it comes to recycling. Keywords: SWM, Habits of householders, Pune solid waste management

Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Housemaids: A Case Study of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra

Economic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Housemaids: A Case Study of Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune, Maharashtra

An Overview of Solid Waste Management Practices in Pune, Maharashtra, India

The growing population and rapid urbanization are significant challenges for Indian cities. Pune City generates nearly 2,258 tonnes of waste per day. Pune’s informal waste sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and self-sustainability. Moreover, it contributes to favorable economic and social outcomes for the city. With the support of the self-help group SWaCH Seva Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, Pune, the municipal solid waste management model has successfully achieved a remarkable 95 percent segregation rate. Implementing the Pune municipal solid waste management model showcases the active and efficient engagement of informal waste workers in the collection and resource utilization process. This underscores the possibility of favorable economic, social, and environmental results stemming from collaborations between municipalities and waste pickers. This paper looks at the role of SWaCH in line with Pune Municipal Corporation towards the present waste management system. Primarily reliant on labor, this model accomplishes recycling tasks at a notably lower cost compared to conventional mechanized and centralized waste management approaches. It can also accomplish high recycling levels and relatively considerable plastic waste segregation. Promoting the retrieval of valuable materials, especially plastics, for local and global recycling enterprises actively contributes to the advancement of a circular urban waste management approach. The objective of this research is to explore and provide a realistic understanding of Pune’s current status of waste generation, collection, transportation, and disposal. Apart from the SwaCH-PMC model, the paper also focuses on plastic waste recycling, the Red Dot Campaign towards sanitary waste, and household e-waste management in Pune.

Determination of Fluoride Levels and pH in Community Drinking Water Supply across Pune City, Maharashtra

Context: The knowledge of fluoride levels and pH in potable water is important for health-care personnel and policymakers in general and dentists in particular, but the data regarding fluoride levels and pH of community drinking water in Pune City are deficient. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the fluoride levels and pH in community drinking water supply across Pune City, Maharashtra. Subjects and Methods: In an in vitro, experimental study, a total of 30 water samples were collected from one water treatment plant, one water storage reservoir, and three adjoining residential areas of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) region. They were analyzed for fluoride content using (2-(parasulfophenylazo)-1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-naphthalene disulfonate) based-spectrophotometric method, and for pH using a digital pH meter. Statistical Analysis Used: Fluoride and pH values were subjected to Mann–Whitney U-test and intragroup comparison of fluoride and pH levels at various levels of water distribution was performed using Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: The mean concentration of fluoride and the pH in water samples from different locations across Pune City were 0.262 and 7.02 mg/L, respectively. Although levels across various sources were different, there was no statistical difference between the fluoride content or the pH of the water from sources across PMC and PCMC regions. Conclusions: The fluoride content of the community water supply of Pune City was below the recommended standards yet within the permissible limits in considering the temperature range in Pune City across different seasons. The pH of the drinking water of Pune City was optimal.

A post-COVID-19 assessment of resilience of nurses and paramedical workers in municipal hospitals of urban Pune, India.

To assess the resilience of primary healthcare workers (HCWs) by determining the factors associated with developing resilience post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A cross-sectional study in selected municipal hospitals. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was used to assess the resilience of the 245 HCWs, including the nurses and paramedics working in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) hospitals in Pune City. Data were analysed using the Chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent-samples t-test and correlational analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28. The mean resilience score of the HCWs in PMC hospitals post-COVID-19 was 75.09 (±9.25). The score for hardiness, optimism, resourcefulness and purpose was 20.15 (±3.87), 21.22 (±3.39), 17.24 (±2.76) and 16.40 (±2.17), respectively. Seven factors were significantly associated with the resilience of nurses and paramedics, namely age (P < 0.001), work experience (P < 0.001), monthly income (P < 0.001), having faced financial problems during COVID-19 (P < 0.001), hospital setting (P < 0.05), marital status (P < 0.01) and professional category (P < 0.001). In addition, 60% of the participants reported mental health issues due to routine workloads such as irritation/anger, frustration and tension/worry, fatigue and work-related stress, and sadness and anxiety. Suggestions for improvement were mainly increasing human resources, proper management, skilled staff, improved facilities and funding, and cooperation among staff. The resilience of primary HCWs in Pune post-COVID-19 was higher than HCWs in other countries assessed during COVID-19. Further, resilience was found more among nurses than paramedics. Modifiable factors affecting resilience must be addressed to improve the resilience of HCWs to build everyday resilience and strengthen health systems for public health emergencies.

Design of water supply scheme for newly merged lohegaon and wagholi villages in pune municipal corporation

Design of water supply scheme for newly merged lohegaon and wagholi villages in pune municipal corporation

Analyzing Role of FSI in City Sprawl- Case Study: Pune City

Pune is the second-largest city in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and is an important city in terms of its economic and industrial growth. Over the years Pune Municipal Corporation area has grown in concentric rings. Future growth of PMC will be mainly governed by existing transport corridors, existing and future industrial developments in and around PMC and the expansion of central business district (CBD). The aim of the research is to analyze role of FSI in city sprawl supported with a case study of Pune City. The objectives of the research are- to assess existing and proposed policies/projects undertaken in Pune City for last two decades, to understand population growth trend and its distribution within and around the city, to analyze factors contributing to intensification and spatial distribution of population density, to examine the effects of increased population density on the existing infrastructure facilities in the urban settlements and lastly to propose strategies or proposals for the selected study area. The methodology adopted for the study initiates with assessing the data collected from secondary sources. The increase in population and built-up area attributed to various factors are studied using satellite images and GIS techniques. Population and built-up density can be linked up together to understand how the former growth affects the latter. The distribution and pattern of population density helps to provide useful information in provision of necessary service infrastructure. Finally, different approaches of accommodating the future population are studied and proposed in the study. Keywords Urban sprawl; Density; Spatial Distribution; Accessibility; Urban Growth

Low Emotional Intelligence: A Precursor of Mental Health Derangements Among Adolescents.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the most researched psychological construct in the 21st century. It predicts success and happiness in life and is suggested as a predictor of mental health (MH). We aimed to assess whether low EI among adolescents acts as a precursor of their MHderangements. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Pune Municipal Corporation in 2021 with all due approvals, consent, and assent. EI and MH of adolescents studying in Xth standard in randomly selected 24 out of 440 secondary schools were assessed by Schutte's Emotional Intelligence Test (SET) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 42 (DASS-42) with collection of socio-demographic information. The presence of symptoms of mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress was considered as MH derangement. All research instruments were translated into the local language, pre-tested, and validated before use. Class teachers were trained for data collection. Data were imported to SPSS version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) data editor for further analysis. After enlisting frequencies and proportions, associations and correlations were tested by the chi-squared test and Spearman correlation coefficient, respectively. A total of 622 participants submitted all research instruments. The mean age was 14.74 (+0.742) years. Boys and girls were 38% and 62%, respectively. The majority were Hindus, belonging to socio-economic classes II and III, residing in urban areas. Symptoms of severe to extremely severe depression and anxiety, but not stress, were associated with low EI (p < 0.0001, 0.001, and 0.229). Also, the EI score had a negative correlation with the depression score (ρ = -0.221, p < 0.0001) and anxiety score (ρ =-0.152, p= 0.001), but not with the stress score. Low EI can be taken as a precursor of MH derangements, especially in the form of depression and anxiety among school-going adolescents. Efforts to improve EI among adolescents will help to decrease MH derangements, subsequent MH disorders, and suicidality, with improvement in academic performance.

Mortality among registered tuberculosis patients in Pune Municipal Corporation area, India

BackgroundDeaths among tuberculosis patients due to varied causes are frequently reported. Usually, the death rate is high during the first six to eight months, i.e., the intensive phase of treatment. The healthcare personnel working under National Tuberculosis Elimination Program are reluctant to ascribe death to tuberculosis and may prefer to attribute the death to other causes. On the other hand, in hospitals, most death are attributed to tuberculosis without careful death audits and reasonable investigations. Comorbidities like diabetes, HIV, drug resistance, and drug-induced toxicity consequent to administering secondary lines of drugs need due consideration while ascertaining the cause of death. The study aimed to measure mortality within one year and a maximum of two years after registration. We also determined the cause of death by conducting a verbal autopsy by medico-social workers using the WHO modified autopsy tool. Two pairs of physicians ascertained cause of death by reviewing the collected information. We obtained the consensus opinion of a pair of physicians. In case of disputed opinion, opinion of senior physician from the other group was considered final. Material and methodsWe obtained the list of registered tuberculosis patients in 2019–2020 in Pune Municipal Corporation. The authors conducted the study in 2021–22. The authors prepared a verbal autopsy tool based on the WHO tool. We trained the experienced medical social workers. They called registered phone numbers to know the patient's present status. The social workers paid home visits and confirmed the present status if the phone was not connected even after repeated calls. They collected all the required details, reviewed information and decided the cause of death. The collected detailed information was shared with pairs of senior physicians who ascertained the cause of death. We calculated standardized mortality ratio and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. ResultsThe eligible patients were 7461, and there were 506 deaths. The death rate among males was higher (8.29%) compared to females (5.02%) [χ2 (with Yates correction) = 30.73; p < 0.00001]. The mean age of deceased and living patients was 42.77 (S.D. = 18.07) and 38.46 (S.D. = 17.54) years, respectively (t = 5.33; p < 0.0001). The death rate was 3.88 per 1000 person-months. More than 60% of patients died within six months of initiation of treatment. The overall standardized mortality ratio was 9.61; it decreased as the age advanced. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the overall survival for two years was 92.7%. The common causes were pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, acute coronary syndrome, and some liver injury/disease. ConclusionsThe standardized mortality ratio due to tuberculosis is high. The common causes of death are pneumonia and acute coronary syndrome.

Spatial Distribution of Street Children in Pune City, Maharashtra

Pune city is a highly urbanized metropolitan, IT hub, well-known smart city, and globalized city. Due to these characteristics, the emerging migration of population turns into a growing number of street populations. The main aim of this research is to study the spatial distribution of street children and to demarcate the hotspot area of street children in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Pune City of Maharashtra. In this research paper data collected from January 2019 to January 2020. Total 123 street children were selected from the PCMC zone and 420 were selected from the PMC. The major hotspots are the public places such as Pune and Shivaji Nagar Railway Station, City bus stops and ST stands, the bridges, flyovers, places of worships, etc.,

Support Vector Regression Models of Stormwater Quality for a Mixed Urban Land Use

The present study is an attempt to model the stormwater quality of a stream located in Pune, India. The city is split up into twenty-three basins (named A to W) by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The selected stream lies in the haphazardly expanded peri-urban G basin. The G basin has constructed stormwater drains which open up in this selected open stream. The runoff over the regions picks up the non-point source pollutants which are also added to the selected stream. The study becomes more complex as the stream is misused to dump trash materials, garbage and roadside litter, which adds to the stormwater pollution. Experimental investigations include eleven distinct locations on a naturally occurring stream in the G basin. Stormwater samples were collected for twenty-two storm events, for the monsoon season over four years from 2018–2021, during and after rainfall. The physicochemical characteristics were analyzed for twelve water quality parameters, including pH, Conductivity, Turbidity, Total solids (TS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Phosphate, Ammonia and Nitrate. The Water Quality Index (WQI) ranged from 46.9 to 153.9 and from 41.20 to 87.70 for samples collected during and immediately after the rainfall, respectively. Principal Component Analysis was used to extract the most significant stormwater quality parameters. To understand the non-linear complex relationship of rainfall characteristics with significant stormwater pollutant parameters, a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model with Radial Basis Kernel Function (RBF) was developed. The Support Vector Machine is a powerful supervised algorithm that works best on smaller datasets but on complex ones with the help of kernel tricks. The accuracy of the model was evaluated based on normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE), coefficient of determination (R2) and the ratio of performance to the interquartile range (RPIQ). The SVR model depicted the best performance for parameter TS with NRMSE (0.17), R2 (0.82) and RPIQ (2.91). The unit increase or decrease in the coefficients of rainfall characteristics displays the weighted deviation in the values of pollutant parameters. Non-linear Support Vector Regression models confirmed that both antecedent dry days and rainfall are correlated with significant stormwater quality parameters. The conclusions drawn can provide effective information to decision-makers to employ an appropriate treatment train approach of varied source control measures (SCM) to be proposed to treat and mitigate runoff in an open stream. This holistic approach serves the stakeholder’s objectives to manage stormwater efficiently. The research can be further extended by selecting a multi-criteria decision-making tool to adopt the best SCM and its multiple potential combinations.

Repercussion of Open Dumping Ground in the Vicinity at Mantarwadi, Pune

Urbanization is taking place at a very fast pace in India. The migration of people from villages to cities is putting a tremendous pressure on the infrastructure in all the major cities. Due to the lack of expertise, the Municipal Authorities continued to dispose of the MSW by dumping it in open areas. The fires and other constant problems at dumping ground along with ground water contamination due to leachate causes a lot of opposition from Nongovernment Organizations (NGOs). Municipal solid waste (MSW) is diverse in nature and includes biodegradable materials as well as paper, plastic, rags, metal, glass, and pieces of metal. Aside from these additional components, MSW also includes scrap materials, waste papers, dead animals, abandoned chemicals, paints, toxic hospital waste, and agricultural leftovers. The biological waste produced by clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, pathological laboratories, blood banks, and veterinary centres has until to this point also been dumped at the dumpsite with MSW. Solid waste is a waste type that includes predominantly household waste which sometimes includes the addition of commercial waste collected in a given area. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is responsible for collection, storage, segregation, transportation and disposal of all solid waste generated in the city. In the present research work describes an attempt to assess the different parameters on the leachate collected from the Mantarwadi dumping site, Pune. Leachate from landfills has the potential to contaminate both surface and ground water if left unchecked. Within a single location, the leachate’s composition varies substantially. The age of the landfill, the types of trash, the degree of decomposition that has occurred, and the physical alteration of the garbage are some of the variables that determine composition. Once groundwater is contaminated, it is uneconomical to retrieve the same. The waste from Pune City is disposed of by the Pune Municipal Corporation at Mantarwadi (Urali devachi depot), which is located 20 km away from Pune City. At Mantarwadi, over 1200–1300 metric tonnes of solid trash from the Pune municipal area are disposed off each day.

Planning Intervention for Development for Hinjewadi and Its Surrounding Area

Abstract: The IT industry was welcomed with open arms into the city as per the IT policy of the State government of Maharashtra. Pune is widely regarded as the second major "IT hub of India" and the top automobile and manufacturing hub of India. The main objective of this Thesis is to assess the extent of development at Hinjewadi and surrounding areas and accordingly propose planning interventions with respect to development of the area. Hinjewadi IT Park is proposed and developed by Hinjewadi MIDC. Existence of IT Park offers employment and development opportunities at city level and local level. But it also offers some challenges in development. Hinjewadi comes under PMRDA as it is not a part of Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Hinjewadi needs a special attention because of its IT hub. There are various authorities in Hinjewadi namely, Hinjewadi gram panchayat, Hinjewadi MIDC, Software Technology Parks of India, Hinjewadi Industries Association, IT employees and local residents of Hinjewadi. All of these authorities play an important role in development of Hinjawadi. These authorities are not interdependent on each other and are confined to their specific approach towards development. They lack in coordination and holistic approach of development. Major issue is faced by daily commuters from various parts of the cities. The IT Park is challenged by chaotic traffic, insufficient security arrangements. These various authorities need to be brought under one umbrella that will be a parent organization to develop holistic approach and better future development. The proposal would be to form an urban local body for Hinjewadi and surrounding area. The area will be delineated with possible development possible for Residential - Commercial development in the area. Keywords: Planning Intervention, Extent of development, daily commuters, holistic approach, IT Park.

A study of charging station infrastructure of electric vehicles with respect to the Pune market

This paper is for the revolution and the need for electric vehicles (EV) and its challenges for the charging infrastructure for Pune electric automobile industry. The current growth of EVs is slow due to the issues such as slow charging time, accessibility, lack of charging infrastructure. Identifying the characteristics and demand of fast charging EV load of Pune. Within a radius of 3 km charging station is required in the Pune. Government policies and the Pune municipal corporation initiative towards the charging infrastructure for the smart Pune city. Interaction of electric vehicle and charging station for the availability of charging slots in the charging station to reduce waiting time.

Review of the State-of-the-art Sewer Monitoring and Maintenance Systems Pune Municipal Corporation - A Case Study

There is an increasing trend of using automated and robotic systems for the tasks that are hazardous or inconvenient and dirty for humans. Sewers maintenance and cleaning is such a task where robots are already being used for inspection of underground pipes for blockages and damage. This paper reviews the existing robotic systems and various platforms and algorithms along with their capabilities and limitations being discussed. A typical mid-size city in a developing country, Pune, India is selected in order to understand the concerns and identify the requirements for developing robotic systems for the same. It is found that major concern of sewers are blockages but there is not enough information on both real-time detection and removal of it with robotic systems. On-board processing with computer vision algorithms has not been efficiently utilized in terms of performance and determinations for real-world implementations of sewer robotic systems. The review highlights the available methodologies that can be utilized in developing sewer inspection and cleaning robotic systems.

Secondary attack rate among high-risk contacts of COVID-19 paediatric index cases: a study at the beginning of the pandemic in Pune city of Western Maharashtra, India

Background: The COVID-19 was the emerging disease caused by SARS-COV2. Efficient transmission of this disease occurs through droplets and fomites. The susceptibility of children to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and transmission of COVID-19 from children to others is a relatively unexplored area. The aim of this study was to understand the transmission dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in children. Study objectives were to estimate secondary attack rate of COVID-19 from paediatric index case during the early phase of pandemic in Pune city and to identify factors associated with transmission and development of the COVID-19 disease.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in the month of June 2020. The sample includes 58 contacts of 11 laboratory confirmed pediatric index cases of COVID-19 from Pune municipal corporation after written informed consent. A confidential telephonic interview of parents was taken by using a prestructured questionnaire which includes socio-demographic data, family background, type of house, development of symptoms, outcome etc.Results: The mean age of primary pediatric case was 12.7±5.1 years. All of them were symptomatic. The SAR estimated was 55.2%. The factors significantly affecting SAR were comorbidity, no. of family members, type of family, overcrowding, no. of rooms, bedroom attached with toilet.Conclusions: The household SAR from paediatric patients is high and is closely associated with family size and other household characteristics. Hence, home quarantine should be advocated in smaller families with appropriate isolation facilities; more emphasis is given to co-morbid individuals.

MONITORING OF MEASLES RUBELLA VACCINATION SESSIONS AT SCHOOLS IN PUNE CITY

Introduction: India with the support of WHO launched one of the world's largest vaccination campaigns against measles and rubella on 5 February 2017. The campaign was launched to vaccinate children in the age group of 9 months to 15 years with measles and rubella vaccine. In Maharashtra state the campaign started from 27th November 2018. All eligible children were vaccinated at the following session sites: Schools, Health sub-centers, Anganwadi centers, xed outreach sessions and mobile posts in villages and urban areas, Government health facilities will vaccinate on all days of campaign. Aim and objectives: To monitor vaccination injection practices, cold chain maintenance and safe needle disposal at measles rubella vaccination sessions at schools in Pune city. Material and methods: Study was a cross sectional study. 5 schools in each 5 Wards (Bibewadi, Kondwa, Hadapsar, Wanowri, and Dhankawadi) out of the 15 wards of Pune Municipal Corporation were MR vaccination campaign session will take place will be studied in 2nd week of the campaign. After obtaining permission from the WHO surveillance medical ofcer The above mentioned sites were visited on vaccination day. A structured Performa based on WHO checklist were lled on observation of all the sites selected. Results: 92% of the vaccinators have attended training sessions, 16% of the vaccinators were wearing gloves, Swabbing of the skin done by 52% , 80% of the vaccinators were administering vaccine through subcutaneous route, cold chain were maintained to 100% perfection and Safe needle disposal practices were maintained to 100%. Conclusion: Need for better training to healthcare workers about safe practices and proper implementation of vaccination campaign.

Secondary Attack Rate among the Contacts of COVID-19 Patients at the Beginning of the Pandemic in Pune City of WesternMaharashtra, India

Introduction: The COVID-19 was the emerging disease caused by SARS-COV 2. Efficient transmission of this disease occurs through droplets and fomites. As COVID-19 has high transmission and hence susceptible household &amp; non-household close contacts are at high risk of developing disease. Study Objectives: 1) To estimate secondary attack rate of COVID-19 among the contacts during the pandemic in Pune city; 2) To identify factors associated with transmission and development of COVID-19 disease. Material &amp; Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in the month of June 2020. The sample includes 741 contacts of 119 Laboratory confirmed cases for COVID-19, resides in 15 ward offices areas of Pune Municipal Corporation after written informed consent. A confidential telephonic interview was taken by using a prestructured questionnaire which includes socio demographic data, duration of stay, family background, outcome, type of house, development of symptoms etc. Results: The overall Secondary Attack Rate estimated to be 32.5%, 33.7% among the high risk contacts while 13.3% among the low risk contacts. In this city, 6 wards (40%) out of 15 wards showed SAR of more than 40%. The characteristics of primary cases associated with spread of disease were presence of symptoms and duration between onset of disease and isolation of primary case. The factors significantly affecting SAR were age, comorbidity, no. of family members, type of family, type of house, overcrowding, no. of rooms, bedroom attached with toilet, type of contact &amp; containment zone. Conclusion: Higher SAR was seen in the household contacts. It is necessary to adopt rigorous measures to cut the transmission chain in this area of close contact.

Carbon Sequestration Potential of Urban Green Spaces (PMC Gardens) in Pune City, India

Aim: To estimate the Carbon sequestration potential of trees in Urban green spaces of Pune city.&#x0D; Study Design: The methods suggested by Ravindranath and Ostwald were used for measuring the above and belowground biomass and estimation of carbon pool. Random sampling technique was used to collect soil samples. As the study area were one acre and above, each and every tree was sampled for various parameters. The GPS instrument was used for measuring latitude and longitude of each and every tree.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The gardens developed by Pune Municipal Corporation (total 66 having an area one acre and above) Pune, Three years( from January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016, January 2017 to December 2017)&#x0D; Methodology: The gardens having an area one acre and above were selected for the work. Each and every tree is sampled along with its position on ground by using GPS instrument. Sampling of tree includes measuring Height and Girth at breast height (GBH). Later, the parameters like Volume, Mass, Wood density, Above and Below ground biomass, Total biomass and Total carbon were calculated as per the standard methods given by Ravindranath and Ostwald [1] Soil samples were collected randomly from a depth of 30 cm as it is a zone of highest microbial activity. Walkley‐Black Wet Oxidation method was used to find out soil organic carbon.&#x0D; Results: Total amount of above and belowground carbon sequestered was estimated to be 7,00,507.83 tonnes; litter and deadwood 24,904.05, and soil organic carbon 1879.905; and the sum of all were 7,27,291.785 tonnes. The exotic species sequester 2,69,287.4 tonnes and native sequester 80,966.55 tonnes of carbon. The rates of carbon in active markets are US$ 30 (Thirty dollars) per tonne. &#x0D; Conclusion: Putting a conservative value of US$ 30 per tonne of CO2 locked in these sampled gardens, this carbon sink of about 7,27,291.785 tonnes of CO2 is worth of US $ 21818753.55 or Indian Rs. 1606733011.422/-It will help in Climate mitigation and reducing the carbon footprints of Pune city.