Pune: 700+ Citizens Object to PMC’s Proposed Tree Felling On Ganeshkhind Road, Public Hearing Set for Tomorrow

Pune, 30th November 2023: The proposal to fell trees on Ganeshkhind Road for road widening has sparked a surge of objections from over 700 concerned citizens. The objections are primarily centered around the proposed removal of 87 fully grown trees identified as hindrances to the road widening project in Patch 1, with a total of 300+ trees marked for removal across multiple patches.

Key objections raised by citizens fall under the purview of the PMC Commissioner, who also serves as the Head of the Local Tree Authority. Surprisingly, the Commissioner delegated the responsibility of presiding over the hearing to the Assistant Commissioner at Ghole Road Ward Office, signaling a disregard for citizen concerns and an indifferent attitude toward environmental preservation. The venue for the hearing is the PMC Ghole Road Ward Office at 11:00 am on 1st December 2023.

The outcome of the hearing will reveal the sincerity of the PMC in considering citizens’ objections or if it is merely a procedural formality. Citizens have substantiated their objections by citing violations of the Tree Act and other relevant laws, presenting a comprehensive list of concerns:

1. State Tree Authority violations (Violation u/s 3(A-1))

2. Wrong officer chairing local Tree Authority (Violation u/s 3(1) and (2))

3. Expert Committee, wrong appointer and appointee (Violation u/s 3(3))

4. Tree Officers, Secretary not competent (Violation u/s 5 r/s Rule 4(iv))

5. Lack of State Monitoring mechanism (Violation u/s 6-A (i), (ii))

6. No geo-tagging, tree census despite BHC order of 2013 (Violation u/s 7)

7. No Alternate design, No impact Assessment (Violation u/s 8(2))

8. Misrepresentation of Heritage trees (Violation u/s 8(3)(a)(v) and (vi))

9. Inadequate replantation without preservation (Violation u/s 11 r/w)

10. Non-compliance with PMC Urban street design guideline or IRC guidelines

Citizens also expressed their concerns about the lack of emphasis on quality roads, decongestion through public transportation, and the adverse impact on Pune’s air quality index due to the extensive tree felling. Additionally, the proposed road development plan lacks provisions for planting trees at designated intervals, violating Tree Act Rules.

Citizens’ Voices:

Vinita Deshmukh, civic activist: “The Trees in Ganeshkhind must be saved at any cost as the health of our future generations is at stake. Pune is a concrete and vehicular mess. Enough of damaging it further.”

Supriya Bhanage: “In the name of development, this should NEVER happen – like cutting trees or hills and making pollution. To cope up with the population, just start thinking of migrating the population out of Pune who are not from Pune. Give weightage to the working from home culture. Restrict the usage of 4 wheelers for 1 person. 4 wheeler entry should be banned on many roads. Let that person decide if he/she wants to bring a car on the road or instead use a bike or public transport.”

Gaurav Gupta: “Cutting a fully grown tree and in return planting a new tree is not the same thing or is not balanced. Cutting old trees is a crime in the current situation.”