Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) recent proposal to cut down 308 trees in Koregaon Park for road widening has sparked significant backlash from residents and environmental activists. The plan includes felling 255 trees along North Main Road from ABC Farms Chowk to the Magarpatta Flyover, 10 trees on Mangaldas Road, and 55 near the crematorium on Burning Ghat Road.
PMC intends to widen Burning Ghat Road from 18 to 30 metres, incorporating a 1.8-metre footpath. The proposals for tree cutting have been submitted in various dockets to the tree authority at the Dhole Patil Road ward office.
Residents and activists have criticized the plan, highlighting the absence of alternative solutions to preserve the trees, unscientific methods for determining tree age, and the civic body’s disregard for maintaining green cover. At a hearing held at the Dhole Patil Road ward office, over 20 citizens, including activists Ameet Singh, Sathya Natarajan, Meghna Bhandari, Gangotri Chanda, Chaitanya Ket, and lawyer Maitreya Ghorpade, voiced their objections.
Citizens pointed out that PMC has already allowed road digging, exposing tree roots along North Main Road without any protective measures. They also emphasized that no replantation or alternative conservation plans were in place. Ghorpade noted that officials admitted lacking a method to determine tree age, despite a National Green Tribunal directive from the Sadhu Vaswani Bridge case mandating such measures.
Activists have demanded written refusals to the current dockets to prevent automatic approvals. They also urged for alternative plans to replant felled trees nearby. Concerns were raised about the 1.8-metre-wide footpath, which would leave insufficient space for both pedestrians and new trees.
Activists further warned of additional trees slated for removal between Kalyaninagar Bridge and Magarpatta, as well as along Mangaldas Road and a river-adjacent road near North Main Road. “The unchecked tree cutting is contributing to rising temperatures, and we are witnessing its immediate effects,” stated citizens.