The Bombay High Court on Thursday quashed the clearance given by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to cutting trees alongside Ganeshkhind Road, which is being widened to make provisions for an elevated Metro rail and a flyover. The court also directed the civic administration to restart the process of taking permission from different departments, including seeking suggestion and objection from citizens, for cutting the trees. Pune-based NGO Parisar, along with activists Ameet Singh and Hema Chari, had filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court to stop the chopping of 192 trees on Ganeshkhind road. The stretch of road from the gate of Savitribai Phule Pune University to Sancheti is being widened from 36 metres to 45 metres as the work for the elevated Metro rail and the double-decker flyover has begun. The petitioners alleged that permission for tree cutting was given in violation of the provisions of the Maharashtra Tree Act. The PMC's road department applied for permission to cut 105 trees and transplant 87 of them on August 21. The PMC issued a public notice, calling for objections until August 18. However, the municipal commissioner, who also heads PMC's Tree Authority, sanctioned the felling of the trees on August 18 itself, without taking into consideration the objections raised, in clear violation of the Maharashtra Tree Act and earlier high court judgments regarding the same. Taking strong exception to the high handedness and cavalier attitude of the PMC, the bench headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar and Justice Arif Doctor, stayed any further cutting of trees and instructed the government lawyer to convey the instructions immediately to the commissioner. "The high court bench heard us and quashed the previous clearance given by the Pune Tree Authority, that is chaired by the municipal commissioner, to cut trees. It directed the PMC to restart the process of seeking permission to cut trees and take into account the suggestions and objections raised by citizens," said Ronita Bhattacharya, representing the petitioners. Bhattacharya said the PMC will now have to re-issue the notice to the public and again hear the objections and suggestions of citizens. Ameet Singh, one of the petitioners, hopes better sense would now prevail in the PMC, which has been acting in an arbitrary manner. "Rampant tree cutting is happening all over the city in complete violation of the law. Pune is already one of the most polluted cities.Cutting of thousands of trees will only make matters worse. We are glad that the court has recognized the issue and put a stay on the cutting of trees," he said. Hema Chari, also a petitioner, questioned the hurried manner in which the road widening work is being undertaken. "While the Metro is already there, what is the need to widen the road to 45 metres, that too without making provision of decent footpaths or cycle tracks. It will only lead to more traffic, more emission and pollution. Cutting the trees will have a double impact on pollution." According to the petitioners, the Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards for Pedestrians and Cycle Tracks stipulates that there has to be a 6.5metre footpath--with a clear 2m walking zone and a 2.2 metre cycle track--on a 45 metre road. The Comprehensive Bicycle Plan of PMC approved in 2017 calls for a cycle track on Ganeshkhind Road. Ranjit Gadgil, program director of Parisar, said, "We have asked for the design of the road, which should be as per the mandatory IRC guidelines and the city’s own Urban Street Design guidelines, but have been told that only a 2.5 metre footpath will be carved out. We have raised these issues in the high court and hope that the PMC will now toe in line. If they follow the requisite standards, there will be no need of cutting trees as they can be accommodated in the road design. Otherwise, we will approach the court again”.
