In Punawale Kate Wadi, a growing concern is gripping residents as incidents of forest fires and unauthorized deforestation continue to escalate. Unidentified individuals have been setting trees ablaze in the region, prompting the community to seek urgent assistance from the Forest Department and other authorities.
The Punawale Kate Wadi forest area, initially proposed for a garbage depot, faced opposition from its 100,000 residents, resulting in the cancellation of the plan during the winter session by MLA Ashwini Jagtap. Despite subsequent rulings from the National Green Tribunal and the Maharashtra Assembly in December 2023 scrapping the depot, the forest fires persist, posing a threat to the ecosystem.
Rohan Chodankar, a resident, attributes the genesis of the issue to the prolonged proposal for a garbage depot, which faced resistance due to concerns about the burgeoning population. Despite the cancellation of the plan, no decisive action has been taken against the rampant illegal deforestation, raising questions about the enforcement of existing regulations.
Efforts by local residents to seek intervention from authorities, including the police, forest department, and the National Green Tribunal, have yielded little tangible results. The absence of tree plantation initiatives further exacerbates concerns about ecological degradation in the area.
The proximity of residential areas to the forest heightens the risk of property damage from forest fires, creating a dual threat to both human settlements and natural habitats. Sumit Dhage, an IT engineer, identifies labor camp occupants and brick factory workers as prime contributors to the fires, driven by the need for wood despite warnings from the forest department.
The escalating forest fires pose an imminent threat to Punawale Kate Wadi’s biodiversity and highlight the urgent need for coordinated governmental action to preserve this vital ecosystem.
