Pune: Supreme Court Halts Tree Removal on Ganeshkhind Road, Grants Time for Legal Appeal
Pune/New Delhi, 16th December 2023: On Friday, the Supreme Court (SC) intervened to halt the removal of trees for the expansion of Ganeshkhind Road in Pune, granting a stay until December 21. This decision allows petitioners additional time to present their case before the Bombay High Court.
The SC bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, heard an appeal against the interim ruling of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had addressed the matter of tree felling by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Ganeshkhind Road.
The SC has directed the petitioners to pursue further proceedings in the Bombay High Court. Additionally, a specific order has been issued, prohibiting any further tree felling between December 15, 2023, and December 21, 2023 (Tuesday). This temporary halt aims to provide the petitioners with a reasonable timeframe to approach the High Court.
The controversy revolves around a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by Ameet Singh, a core member of Pune River Revival and a civic activist. Singh opposed the indiscriminate tree felling on Ganeshkhind Road, also known as University Road, for road widening. The Bombay High Court had previously mandated the PMC to reevaluate public objections and suggestions regarding tree felling, issuing an order on October 12, 2023.
In the latest hearing on December 11, 2023, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rescheduled the matter for a hearing on January 25, 2024. The NGT, however, declined to order a stay on the PMC’s tree-felling operations.
In response, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) has granted a temporary stay on tree felling activities along Ganeshkhind Road in Pune until December 21. This pause allows the petitioners sufficient time to pursue further proceedings before the Bombay High Court.
