Pune, 18 December 2025: The Western Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to submit a comprehensive report detailing all tree-cutting permissions granted and compensatory plantation carried out in the city since 2022.
The tribunal had earlier given the civic body three months to submit the information. However, during a hearing on December 3, the PMC sought additional time, stating that the data involved was extensive. Accepting the request, the NGT granted a further two-week extension. The matter will now be heard next on February 11.
In an order dated December 8 and uploaded on December 9, the tribunal also instructed the PMC to include details of all tree-cutting permissions issued from December onwards, up to the next date of hearing.
The petition was filed in June by Pune-based environmental activist Krunal Gharre, who works on tree and river conservation. Gharre said he first filed an RTI application in January 2024 seeking information on tree-cutting approvals and compensatory plantation undertaken by the PMC. The initial response claimed that the data was not available.
After filing a first appeal, Gharre was asked to collect the information from individual ward offices. He said the compiled data was then submitted along with the petition to the NGT. Gharre added that the forthcoming PMC report will clarify how tree-cutting permissions and compensatory plantation have been handled over the years.
