The Bombay High Court has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pune Tree Authority (PTA) to file an affidavit on whether any survey was undertaken to determine if any new plantation exercise was undertaken in place of trees felled for road widening. The next hearing is on September 30. Pune-based activist Deepak Balkrishna Vahikar had filed a public interest litigation in the High Court regarding the functioning of the PTA,tree felling and several issues related to it. The directives issued by the bench comprising justice D Y Chandrachud and justice R P Sondurbaldota,say: Before we consider the issues which arise in the PIL,a comprehensive affidavit should be filed by the PMC and PTA on the following aspects: whether the experts and representatives of non-official organisations are nominated as members of the PTA,whether any vacancies are left in the constitution of PTA,the position of tree census; the steps taken by the PTA to monitor the compliances in respect of undertakings filed in connection with permission of felling the trees and whether the corporation or tree authority has undertaken any steps to conduct a survey whether trees have been planted again or not. The court has also sought to know in writing the individuals appointed as experts on the PTA,their experiences,qualifications and educational backgrounds.
