Pune, 26th September 2026: Nearly 500 trees on Ganeshkhind Road will be saved after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) revised its road-widening plan. The number of trees proposed to be removed has been reduced from 529 to 33, while some of the affected trees will be transplanted.
The 45-metre road widening project covers the stretch between Sancheti Hospital and Anand Rushiji Chowk, also known as Pune University Chowk. The PMC had earlier acquired private and government land required for the project and had begun the process of removing trees that came in the way of the proposed widening.
The original proposal faced strong opposition from citizens and environmental groups over the loss of a large number of trees. Environmental organisation Parisar and other groups approached the Bombay High Court through a public interest litigation. In 2023, the court directed the Tree Authority to consider citizens' objections and suggestions before deciding on the tree removal.
Following the opposition, the PMC began examining alternative designs to reduce the number of trees affected by the project. Citizens also held a human chain protest on Ganeshkhind Road against the proposed tree cutting.
The Central Empowered Committee, functioning under the authority of the Supreme Court, also intervened in the matter. A meeting involving PMC officials, environmentalists and citizens was held on August 21, followed by a site inspection. The revised plan reduced the number of trees affected from 529 to 33.
PMC Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said environmental groups had raised objections but had also suggested alternatives to reduce tree loss. "Environmentalists have a broader perspective. They opposed the proposal to cut around 550 trees on Ganeshkhind Road, but they also suggested alternatives. After considering these suggestions, only 33 trees now need to be removed and nearly 500 trees have been saved," Ram said.
He said citizens' concerns about development projects should be considered positively and taken into account while planning infrastructure works.
Ram also referred to the long-pending widening of Katraj-Kondhwa Road. The existing 12-metre road is proposed to be widened to 50 metres, with around eight to 10 trees likely to be affected.
He said opposition to tree removal can sometimes delay infrastructure projects and stressed the need to consider environmental concerns while implementing development works.