Pune: Baneri Bor, A Rare Fruit Tree, Faces Extinction Due To Pollution And Urbanization
Pune: Baneri Bor, A Rare Fruit Tree, Faces Extinction Due To Pollution And Urbanization
The Baneri bor, a variant of the Indian Jujube native to the Baner area in Pune, is on the verge of extinction. The wild fruit tree, which was once abundant in the region, has been reduced to just 50 trees due to heavy urbanization, pollution, and unregulated development.
According to Pravin Thete, president of the Sustainable Development Institute, who has been monitoring the fruit’s growth since 2014, the number of fruit trees has drastically declined over the years. “In 2018, there were a few trees at the riverbank. Now, all of them are gone. We can’t spot a single one of them at the location,” Thete said while communicating with media.
The remaining trees are facing threats from garbage dumping, pollution from the confluence of Mula and Ramnadi rivers, and unmonitored construction in the area. The soil and ecosystem of the trees are being affected by the heavy pollution, making it challenging for the trees to survive.
The Baneri bor tree has a unique taste, with the fruit being sweet and sour and having a saffron tinge once ripe. The fruit is highly sought after for its unique nature and rich historical significance. However, the tree’s survival is under threat due to the rapid urbanization and pollution in the area.
Thete plans to approach the state government and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to create a local development region and prohibit development activity to conserve the Baneri bor trees. “The governing bodies should monitor building permissions to ensure the local wild trees with rich history and significance are not lost,” Thete said.
In an effort to conserve the Baneri bor trees, Thete has collected seeds of the wild fruit and has over 5,000 saplings in his nursery. He plans to create a fruit forest in a village close to Pune on 2 acres of land for the wild fruits of Maharashtra.
