Society residents in decade-long battle for amenity plot to get urban forest park status

Area has become home to 30 bird species

Once a barren amenity land, the area has now developed into a green cover. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

Residents of Ganga Kingston Society in NIBM Annexe have transformed a barren amenity plot into a thriving ecological landscape, with over 200 fully grown native tree species that have become a home to around 30 bird species amid Pune’s growing concrete landscape. With the area’s remarkable transformation and years of efforts, Mohammadwadi residents’ urge to designate the amenity space as an urban forest park has not been taken note of by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for nearly a decade.

“The amenity space was a completely waste land, being an insect breeding ground. But for more than a decade, we have been planting trees and maintaining it. So far, over 200 native species have been planted and they have grown over 20 feet now. Few local politicians have tried to encroach this space for commercial purposes, but we have foiled their attempts,” said Daljit Goraya, secretary of Ganga Kingston Society.

“The amenity space has now become an ecological hotspot, with over 30 bird and various animal species surviving like an oasis in the concretised landscape. So, we demand the administration should consider making it into a park, rather than felling the trees and reserving the land for other purposes. A jogging track, benches for senior citizens, and play equipment for children would help it get a good shape and be accessible,” Goraya added.

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Jaymala Dhankikar, director of NIBM Annexe Resident’s Forum, said that despite repeated appeals and demands from citizens since 2014 to declare this plot an urban forest park, the PMC has remained unresponsive. This inaction threatens the ecological balance of the area and risks the loss of a precious green space in the rapidly urbanising area.

File photo of when the plantation drive started in 2021. (Express file photo)

“Though it has been developed and taken care of by the society members, we demand to develop it and make it open to all. This would act as a recreational space for residents, including children, senior citizens and others in the area, as the nearest garden is almost 3 km away,” added Dhankikar.

The Maharashtra Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations mandate that in the areas of Local Authorities, Special Planning Authorities and Metropolitan Region Development Authorities, an amenity space of 5% of the total gross area, in case the building plot area exceeds 20000 Sq m, shall have to be provided in any layout or sub division of land or proposal for development which can be used for a garden, playground, municipal school, municipal hospital, and other purposes.

“Following the proposal from the residents of Ganga Kingston Society, we inspected the amenity space and have forwarded the demand to the horticultural department. A final plan will be prepared after reviewing NIBM Mohammadwadi’s development plan and assessing the reservations made in the nearby amenity spaces. The work is in progress and will be presented along with our recommendations to the Civic Chief. The final approval rests with the Municipal Commissioner,” stated Nikhil Randive, an official of the PMC’s Garden Department (Civil Works).

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