The Bombay High Court granted approval for the transplantation of 71 trees on Ganeshkhind Road, as per the recommendations of an expert committee. This decision marked the conclusion of the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO. The court expressed its disapproval towards the planning authorities for not adhering to tree protection laws diligently. It issued directives to all municipal corporations, including Pune, to adhere to Section 7(b) of the Tree Act for the protection of trees within their respective jurisdictions.
A PIL was filed at the Bombay High Court by Pune-based NGO Parisar, along with activists Ameet Singh and Hema Chari, aiming to halt the felling of 192 trees on Ganeshkhind Road. The road segment stretching from the gate of Savitribai Phule Pune University to Sancheti Hospital is undergoing widening from 36 metres to 45 metres due to the commencement of work on the elevated Metro rail and the double-decker flyover.
Prior to the intervention of the NGO and activists, the civic body had already felled 93 trees.
On April 17, the court, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor, heard a petition from Parisar. They directed that instead of cutting down 192 trees, 71 trees should be transplanted in accordance with the recommendations of the expert committee. Additionally, the court instructed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to submit an affidavit promising to adhere to the committee's recommendations. During the hearing, advocate Nisha Chavan, head of PMC's legal department, and Aniruddha Pawaskar, chief of PMC's road department, were present.
Chavan stated, ?The high court disposed of the PIL and granted permission to PMC and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to cut and transplant trees for the widening of Ganeshkhind Road. They also instructed PMC to comply with the recommendations of the expert committee.?
Abhijit Kulkarni, senior lawyer representing PMC at the high court, remarked, ?The court accepted the report of its expert committee. Directives were also issued to all corporations to comply with Section 7(b) of the Tree Act. Additionally, the court ordered the submission of photographs depicting the transplantation of trees.?
