Pune, 22nd May 2026: The expansion of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Highway between Hadapsar and Saswad has once again brought the debate between development and environmental conservation into focus.
While several road projects in the city have faced opposition over tree cutting, a fresh proposal now aims to save century-old banyan trees standing along the route.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to widen the road from 30 meters to 45 meters between the canal bridge and Satyapuram near the Fursungi-Uruli Devachi municipal limits.
However, the current alignment would require nearly 75 banyan trees spread across a stretch of around 1.75 kilometers to be cut. Many of these trees are believed to be more than 150 years old.
The issue comes at a time when environmental activists and citizens are already protesting against large-scale tree cutting planned for projects such as the Ganeshkhind Road widening. Similar concerns have been raised in the past over infrastructure projects affecting the city’s green cover.
Corporator Vaishali Bankar has submitted a proposal before the PMC’s City Improvement Committee suggesting that the road alignment be shifted towards the right side near the Gliding Centre land instead of expanding on the existing side.
According to the proposal, this change could help protect the banyan trees as well as prevent the demolition of houses built along the current stretch.
Residents on the left side of the road towards Saswad had constructed homes based on the earlier road development plan. The proposal states that changing the alignment would not only reduce environmental damage but could also help the civic body avoid heavy compensation costs linked to property demolition.
“The proposal has been submitted to the City Improvement Committee to ensure that the 150-year-old banyan trees along the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi route are protected during the road widening work. Urban development and environmental conservation can go hand in hand, but support from the central government will be necessary for the alternative alignment plan,” said Vaishali Bankar, corporator.
