In the quest to construct a new administrative building for the College of Agriculture in Pune, a project undertaken by the state’s Public Works Department has stirred concerns due to the proposed removal of numerous mature trees from the college premises. A formal proposal requesting permission to fell 225 trees has been submitted to the Parks Department of the Pune Municipal Corporation, prompting objections from environmentalists.
Taking a prudent approach, the Parks Department has announced its intention to solicit objections regarding the tree removal. After this, the department will compile a comprehensive report to be submitted to the state government, which will ultimately decide whether to grant permission for tree felling.
The planned administrative building is slated to become the office of the Commissioner of Agriculture and will be executed by the state’s Public Works Department. As part of the construction plan, the removal of some mature trees is deemed necessary. The proposal outlines the transplantation of 99 trees following their removal, and an additional 4,152 trees will be planted to offset the loss.
Ashok Ghorpade, Head of the Parks Department, clarified, “The State Government’s Public Works Department is in the process of constructing an Agricultural Administrator Building on the Agricultural College premises. Permission has been requested from the Government to cut around 225 trees within the college premises. The proposal is pending approval. We have called for objections, and once the objection report is prepared, the state government will make the final decision.”
This proposal arises in the context of a previous tree-cutting controversy related to the widening of Ganeshkhind road by the Municipal Corporation. This decision faced opposition and resulted in a petition filed in the Bombay High Court. The court criticized the municipal commissioner for granting permission to fell 105 trees without addressing objection notices. Given this history, the Municipal Corporation is now adopting a more cautious approach to tree-cutting proposals.
