Negligence In Tree Care: Pune Activists Hold Tree Department Officials Accountable
Negligence In Tree Care: Pune Activists Hold Tree Department Officials Accountable
In June 2024, three Banyan trees toppled on Yerwada Jail Road in Pune, while a tree in Wanowrie was split into two. The letter calls for appropriate measures to address these incidents and others that occurred between May and June 2024.
June 24, 2024
In a letter, addressed to the civic authorities, Pratyancha, an organisation dedicated to resolving public disputes and civic issues in Pune through the regulations of Right to Information (RTI) Act, has lodged a complaint against the city’s tree department. They have outlined three concrete demands with a 15 day response and action buffer time.
In June 2024, three Banyan trees toppled on Yerwada Jail Road in Pune, and one tree was split into two in Wanowrie. To take profound and stringent measures, the letter proposes stricter actions regarding these incidents and other similar occurrences between May and June 2024.
The activists insist that the tree officers, both former and current, accountable for the loss of three Banyan trees on Yerwada Jail Road, should face consequences under the Tree Preservation Act and other relevant laws.
Similarly, they call for similar actions against tree officers in Wanowrie and other areas of the city with the existing legal frameworks.
A request has been made to publish a report detailing the tree felling, replanting, and planting activities carried out by various PMC departments over the past 5 years maintaining the ethics of the The Tree Act.
As per the reports, thousands of trees in the city have been uprooted due to unpredictable weather conditions, unseasonal rains and winds over the past few years, stated Rupesh Kesekar, an activist and coordinator of Pratyancha. He emphasised on the excessive concreting, unchecked road digging, and negligence by the tree authorities. Over the last five years, approximately 50,000 trees have been cut down with permission, and compensatory planting efforts have been severely lacking.
It is extremely vital to adopt comprehensive approaches including enforcements and policymaking, community involvement and education, research and innovation, sustainable development practices, and enhanced monitoring and accountability measures to combat the problems of tree felling and other occurrences to create a sustainable environment that benefits both nature and human communities.
