Pune: Ex MP And Mayor Vandana Chavan Urges PMC To Take Firm Stand On Protecting City’s Hills and Biodiversity Parks
Pune: Ex MP And Mayor Vandana Chavan Urges PMC To Take Firm Stand On Protecting City's Hills and Biodiversity Parks
Pune, October 1, 2025: Former Mayor and Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan met Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram demanding that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) take a strong stance in favor of protecting the city’s hills and Biodiversity Parks (BDP).
The state government had set up a study group under the chairmanship of former IAS officer Ramnath Jha to examine the issue of protecting Pune’s hills and BDP zones. Vandana Chavan emphasized that these areas are ecologically sensitive and play a crucial role in biodiversity, water conservation, groundwater recharge, flood prevention, climate regulation, and carbon emission reduction. She warned that allowing construction on the hills would severely impact the health of both the city and its citizens, especially when Pune already faces a shortage of open spaces.
Chavan also reminded that during the legal process of the Development Plan, over 90,000 Pune residents filed objections opposing construction on hills, and the General Body had endorsed this stance, showing the citizens’ strong resolve to preserve the hills. She further pointed out that PMC’s inaction has partly enabled illegal constructions on the hills.
Despite government notifications in 2005 and 2016 mandating satellite imagery every six months to detect illegal constructions, PMC failed to comply. Under Section 56A of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, officials neglecting action face three months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹20,000—yet no such action has ever been taken. Even beat officers neglected their statutory duties.
Chavan strongly stated that “citizens and the city must not suffer due to the inaction of the municipal corporation.”
The memorandum was submitted in the presence of Swapnil Dudhane (Pune Urban Cell President), Neeta Galande, Sachin Yadav, Vrushali Dabholekar, and Jayesh Murkute.
