Going green: defence units

Even before the Union Minister’s visit,the KCB had approved a proposal that it will approach the defence institutions to ask them to spare the land for the developmental purposes. KCB members said while the Defence Ministry may have been reluctant to give the land for construction of buildings,it has started to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) for carrying out the plantation drive on the vacant land.

KCB vice-president Manish Anand said,“The cantonment board had approved the proposal in July that the Defence Ministry will be approached for allowing the vacant land to be used for developmental purposes. However,while they may be reluctant to allow the use of land for construction of buildings,the Defence Ministry has recently given NOCs to the use of land for carrying out the plantation drives.”

Anand said in his ward in the cantonment area,the Defence Ministry has allowed the use of two patches of land for plantation. “Already we have started fencing the patch of land,” he said.

While the total area of the Khadki cantonment was on 3,275 acre,the civil area was only 122 acre,Anand said.

KCB member Sunil Jadhav said,“The Khadki Ammunition Factory has given the NOC for carrying out plantation within the cantonment area. I have already started the tree plantation at the Range Hills from yesterday at one of the patches of land.”

Pune Cantonment Board member Manzoor Nazir Shaikh,however,said while the Defence Ministry had earlier given the clearance for conversion of the vacant cantonment land into the gardens by allowing plantation,the defence land should also be used for the developmental purposes by allowing the construction of buildings on the land.

Another KCB member,Kamlesh Chaskar,added,“We have already brought it to the notice of the Union Defence Minister that the vacant Army land should be used for construction. There is a large piece of land under the Army within the cantonment area which has been lying vacant without any fruitful use.”