Green Pune Movement Submits 30,000 Signatures To PMC, Opposes Any Dilution Of BDP Reservation
Green Pune Movement Submits 30,000 Signatures To PMC, Opposes Any Dilution Of BDP Reservation
Pune, 28 April 2025 — The Green Pune Movement (GPM), a collective of citizens, environmentalists, and experts, has strongly opposed any move to dilute the Bio-Diversity Park (BDP) reservation on Pune’s hills. In a formal submission to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Study Group on BDP and Hill Top Hill Slope (HTHS), GPM called for the immediate, uncompromised implementation of the BDP provisions.
In a detailed letter addressed to the Municipal Commissioner, the Chairman of the Study Group Ramanath Jha (Retd. IAS), and Member Secretary Prashant Waghmare, GPM highlighted the ecological importance of Pune’s hills in cooling the urban environment, supporting biodiversity, recharging groundwater, and acting as critical carbon sinks.
Citizens Unite to Protect Pune’s Green Spaces
Expressing concern over rising urban temperatures and environmental degradation, GPM emphasized that any tampering with BDP or HTHS no-development zones would be met with strong and widespread public opposition. The group noted that the recent formation of a study group to review possible construction permissions on reserved hill areas had triggered fear and dissatisfaction among citizens.
GPM reiterated that the BDP reservation was unanimously approved by the PMC General Body and supported by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2015. Furthermore, compensation for landowners under the BDP reservation was officially announced on 18 August 2018, making any reconsideration both legally and morally unacceptable.
Over 30,000 Citizens Sign Petition Against Changes to BDP
Following the government’s notification, GPM swiftly launched a city-wide online and offline signature campaign. In a short span, more than 30,000 Punekars signed the petition opposing any alteration to the BDP reservation. These signatures have now been formally submitted to the Study Group as a clear statement of public sentiment.
Key Demands from the Green Pune Movement
GPM has outlined the following key demands:
- Full and immediate implementation of the BDP reservation without dilution.
- No construction allowed on hilltops and slopes where work was not regularized before 31 December 2002.
- Strict adherence to the 2018 government notification granting compensation to BDP landowners.
- Appointment of a dedicated monitoring squad and regular satellite mapping every six months to check encroachments.
- Formation of a Hill Protection Task Force with citizen participation for effective on-ground monitoring.
Call for Citizen Involvement in the Decision-Making Process
GPM has also requested that the Study Group involve citizens, environmental experts, and organizations working in biodiversity, ecology, and hydrology before submitting its final report to the Maharashtra State Government.
Advocate Vandana Chavan (former Pune Mayor and MP), along with activists Ameya Jagtap, Sushma Date, Pushkar Kulkarni, Pradeep Ghumre, Bhanu Mule, Angad Patwardhan, Arnav Gandhe, and Avanti Gadgil, have endorsed the movement and reiterated the citizens’ unwavering commitment to protecting Pune’s green cover.
The Green Pune Movement has warned that failure to act in favor of the environment could lead to a large-scale public agitation aimed at preserving Pune’s priceless natural heritage.
