Pune: The Bombay High Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) affidavit submitted in response to a contempt petition concerning tree cutting on Ganeshkhind Road. During the hearing, the Chief Justice directed the PMC to file a fresh affidavit, personally vetted by the Municipal Commissioner, assuring compliance with the Court’s April 17, 2024 order.
The petitioners alleged that the PMC had failed to adhere to key directives issued by the Court while granting permission to cut trees for flyover construction on Ganeshkhind Road.
The April order required tree transplantation instead of cutting, compensatory plantation of 5,000 trees with a survival rate of 95%, and street plantation approved by a botanical expert. Additionally, PMC was instructed to make progress reports publicly available on its website and provide updates to the Court.
Ranjit Gadgil, Program Director at Parisar, revealed that an RTI query uncovered poor compliance with the directives. “The plantation on Ganeshkhind Road has been haphazard, blocking pedestrian access. Pedestrians are left with less than 1.5 meters of walkable space on a 45-meter road, even less in some stretches,” Gadgil said.
Ameet Singh, another petitioner, highlighted the lack of transparency in compensatory plantations. “There’s no data on the 5,000 trees to be planted as compensation, and the PMC’s claimed website is inaccessible. Even geo-tagging has not been done,” he asserted.
The Chief Justice expressed concern over Pune’s rapid loss of green cover and questioned PMC’s lackadaisical approach even in a case under judicial scrutiny.
In October 2024, PMC issued provisional permissions for cutting 896 trees and transplanting 968 trees, requiring compensatory plantation of 32,600 trees. However, petitioners alleged that compensatory plantations were not being implemented effectively.
“We are demanding a halt to new tree-cutting permissions until the PMC addresses previous lapses and makes records publicly accessible,” Ameet Singh added.
