Pune : Complaint filed in NGT against tree felling in Bavdhan

By: Pune Pulse

October 11, 2023

Pune: Advocate Krunal Ghare, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has lodged a complaint with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the tree felling policy of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to prevent the felling of 89 trees in Bavdhan.

The complaint highlights the contradiction between the Maharashtra government’s expenditure on environmental protection and the municipal corporation’s indiscriminate felling of trees. The complaint alleges that the PMC’s plan to cut down trees violates the principles of sustainable development and appears to be motivated by the intention of administrative officials to benefit private individuals under the guise of public interest. 

The petition seeks to protect 89 trees with a cumulative age of 1,729 years that have been marked for felling by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The application to cut these trees was made by the PMC Road Department, citing road widening for public benefit as the reason. However, the trees marked for felling benefit no one except a single private party developing a real estate project.

According to the information received, the actual situation on the ground and the actions taken show no intent of developing a 24m road. Protection should be provided until the essential land acquisitions, funding, and all other requisite groundwork are genuinely completed to achieve the intended objective and follow sustainable development. The Pune Municipal Corporation has approved the cutting of 59 trees and replanting of 30 trees (total 89 trees) under the pretext of building a 24m wide road and a footpath, which appears to benefit only a third-party construction project adjoining the 80m stretch where this tree cutting activity is planned.

According to the information received, the notice was publicly announced on September 6, 2023. The felling of trees is being carried out exclusively along the boundary of the construction project, limited to a specific 80-meter area. Upon reading the aforementioned notice, the tree authorities were contacted, along with the Pune Municipal ward office, to express objection on September 30, 2023.

When contacted, an official responsible for this activity stated that since the 15-day period has elapsed, the applicant is no longer able to raise any objections. The 15-day objection period for such environmentally sensitive matters is not only unreasonable under normal circumstances but particularly so during the festival period, as in this case, where the days coincided with the Ganesh festival.

The respondents have provided the reasoning of road widening, which appears to be a facade intended to benefit a real estate project. While the details are provided, the overall situation is as follows: only the trees within an 80-meter stretch, coinciding with the real estate project, are being cut out of the entire sanctioned 24-meter length. The trees that would also obstruct this development along the remaining length of the road, the land acquisition required for its construction, the engineering challenges present, and the budgetary sanctions are all being disregarded. The petition is filed under Section 14, read with Section 18(1) of the National Green Tribunal Act 2010, in order to enforce legal rights and promote sustainable development. 

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Krunal Ghare, an advocate added, ”Our legal action is not to stop the development; in fact,  we are the ones who have been continuously following up with PMC and PMRDA for road expansion as per the sanctioned plans. The locality needs this road urgently. The problem is that this is not what is happening. The action on the ground and the trees marked to be cut raise suspicion of true intent. All we are saying is, let PMC first take possession of all the land that is needed before building the road, clear the encroachments, do the markings of other trees that will also be an obstruction, and basically have a plan that shows honest intent and sustainable development. It takes 1 day to cut the trees we are asking; why the hurry? Let the actions follow the words so the intent is not questioned.”

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Ashok Ghorpade, PMC, Garden Department, added, ”Entire process is being conducted in compliance with all applicable laws. Notices were issued to citizens, with the exception of weekends and holidays, and individuals who encountered difficulties in accessing the docket were duly notified.”  

Madhupriya Dhanwate