Pune Metro expansion sparks battle: Citizens oppose felling of 465 trees across new routes
Pune Metro expansion has triggered protests from citizen groups over plans to fell hundreds of trees across key city routes.
Work for the extension project has begun simultaneously on Line 1, from Swargate to Katraj, and Line 2, an elevated route from Vanz to Chandni Chowk, officials said, adding that there will be eight stations in all. (Express File photo) As work on new routes of the Pune metro picks up steam, a number of heated meetings are being held between citizen groups and Pune Municipal Commission’s Tree Officers and Maha Metro representatives. Hearings have taken place at the Dhankawadi-Sahakar Nagar ward office in Katraj, the Kasba- Vishrambaug ward office and the Bibwewadi ward office.
At the root of the argument is that construction of new metro lines between Katraj and Swargate, and Vanaz and NDA, is likely to disturb 465 trees. In the Swargate-Katraj stretch alone, more than 200 trees are expected to be felled. Citizen groups and environmental activists are calling for alternate designs.
Rekha Joshi, a senior member of the citizen’s group, says many parts of the city will lose their green cover. “In Kasba peth, 190 trees are to be cut down totally. No transplantation. This is such a sad thing because the peths are losing old-growth trees. The 190 trees in Kasba show an age count of 2,455. While the Forest Department has shown us letters that 10,000 saplings will be planted, we know from experience that such initiatives do not compensate for the loss of old trees,” says Joshi.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Shravan Hardikar, Managing Director, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corp Ltd, said, “Maha Metro is a very responsible organisation that is working for sustainable transport. Whatever we do, we try to minimise the adverse impact and make sure that the positive impact is much greater than the negative. The Metro is going to have a positive impact on the future of the city’s environment. Whatever tree felling or transplantation that will be done, shall be done as per the policy of the state and in the most responsible manner. Safety and sustainability are the guiding forces for us.”
The objections from the citizens come at a time when a lot of trees are under threat in the city. The PMC is planning to cut down 529 trees to widen Ganeshkhind Road – and people came out to the streets to protest this by forming a human chain. A further 700 trees between Wakad bypass and Sangvi bridge might feel the axe as part of the Mula Riverfront Development Project.
“Lakhs of trees have got cut in the past few years. Every month, thousands get cut without applying for permissions. I surveyed a 100 metre x 100 metre patch by the river in the riparian forest and counted 2,490 trees. This was approx 2.5 acres. The PMC is reclaiming 1546 acres from the river. Extrapolate to only the forest areas at 10 per cent. That’s approx 1.5 lakh trees. I tallied the data with satellite images and found that the number of felled trees is more for sure, not less,” says Ameet Singh, academician and activist who had filed a Public Interest
Litigation at the Bombay High Court with Pune NGO Parisar to stop tree felling in 2023.
Among the other questions that citizens are raising about the present metro expansion plans are – “what is the groundwater ingress risk model across multiple monsoon”, “were alternate designs based on geotechnical considerations or only the cost?”, “was the depth of the hard rock measured continuously or only at points?” and “was any hydrogeological modelling of monsoon versus summer done?”.
“We also reminded them of the Pune floods of 2019, from the Ambil Odha, when we lost 27 lives, housing societies were full of water for many days, and there was substantial loss of property. Are they thinking about all these issues? We have been told that Metro will be giving some answers by April 15, upon which a fresh hearing will be conducted” says Joshi.
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