Pune: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) conducted a tree census using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, reporting a total of 3,216,799 trees across the city. However, the civic body has issued a show-cause notice to the contractor responsible for developing an app for citizens to seek online permissions for tree trimming and cutting, as the project remains incomplete.
The tree census adheres to standards outlined in the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation of Trees Act, which mandates specific tree densities based on road width. For roads 24 meters or wider, one tree is required every 10 meters.
Similar standards apply to roads between 12 and 24 meters wide, with a requirement for both sides, and roads 6 to 12 meters wide, requiring one tree every 20 meters. PCMC claims it will meet these standards citywide.
A previous census conducted in 2007 recorded 1,893,000 trees in the city, but no census took place between 2007 and 2017. In 2018, then-Commissioner Shravan Hardikar directed a GIS-based tree census, awarding the project to Mumbai-based M/s Terracon Ecotech Pvt. Ltd. for ₹6.76 crore. The contract included a two-year census and five years of maintenance. The company reported 3,216,799 trees in its findings.
In addition to the census, the contractor was tasked with developing an app for citizens to seek online permissions for tree-related activities. Despite the timeline expiring, the app has not been completed. Consequently, PCMC’s Garden Department withheld ₹1.69 crore in payments and issued a notice to the company.
Vijay Patil, president of the Pradhikaran Civic Safety Committee, alleged discrepancies in the census. He claimed the reported figure was inflated and estimated the actual number of trees to be closer to 1.5 million. He also criticized the absence of data on the survival rate of planted trees.
PCMC Assistant Commissioner Umesh Dhakane confirmed that the census is complete, and the non-completion of the app has resulted in a show-cause notice to the contractor.