Pune : Environmental organisations in Pune return ‘Paryavaran Doot’ awards to PMC
Environmental Organisations in Pune on April 24 announced the return of ‘Paryavaran Doot’ awards in protest of various environmentally destructive projects which are being planned into the city.
The environmental NGOS have organised Chipko Andolan against River Front development project’s tree-cutting on 29 April 2023.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is currently destroying the natural greenery on the riverbanks near Bund Garden for the ‘River Rejuvenation Project.’
Various organisations and individuals in Pune working on environmental issues have joined hands to condemn this act.
PMC’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the River Rejuvenation Project claims that the existing trees along the riverbanks have been accommodated in planning of the project. But a few thousand trees, including some rare and old trees, are being cut just for a 1 km stretch of the riverfront being constructed to showcase the project.
PMC has stated that compensatory plantation will be undertaken and some of the affected trees may even be transplanted. However, no details are available about the land allotted for this or the timeline planned for the compensatory plantation. Transplantation has proven to be ineffective with a success rate of less than 30%. The clearing of land on the riverbanks is also destroying habitats and biodiversity of the river ecosystem.
Recently thousands of Punekars also protested the planned roads and tunnels on Vetal Tekdi which will also irrevocably destroy the hill ecology.
The cumulative loss of greenery and biodiversity will be aggravated by climate change, intensifying heat waves, flooding and causing water scarcity, all of which have been witnessed in Pune over the last many years.
On 31 March 2023 PMC honoured the citizens for their work for the environment under the State Government’s ‘Majhi Vasundhara’ mission. PMC has called us ‘Prayavaran Doot’ – messengers of the environment. However, the messages that many citizens including all them have sent to PMC objecting to the rampant tree cutting have been totally ignored.
Given the manner in which these destructive projects are being rammed through in the face or public opposition and in complete contravention of international, national and state policies related to climate change, mitigation of air pollution and biodiversity protection, we find it untenable to keep an environmental award received from the same authority. Our constitutional frame work gives us certain responsibilities too. We all are law abiding and responsible citizens and we are committed to protect and improve our natural environment under Article 51A (G), under Article 48 (A) as a responsibility of the state and under Article 21 – Right to life .As a mark of protest we are therefore returning the award given to us by the PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar.
We are also organising a ‘public hearing’ on the issue of rampant tree cutting in the form of a ‘Chalo Chipko’ protest to be carried out on 29 April 5 pm near Sambhaji Park, Deccan Gymkhana Pune. The citizens appealed to all citizens of Pune to join them in the protest and demand full protection for the natural ecosystems of Pune city and its surroundings.
The information was announced by Bhumi, Rajiv Pandit – Jividhan, Oikos- Ketaki Ghate, Sathya Narayan, Vayu, Ranjit Gadgil Parisar, Dr. Gurudas Nulkar, Jal, Shailaja Deshpande – Jeevitnadi, Anant Gharat – MY EARTH, Agni, Amitav Mallik, Vaishali Patkar, Dr. Priyadarshini Karve – Samuchit Enviro.
