A recent legal development in Pune has thrown the spotlight on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), as a civil court directs them to justify the legality of widespread tree-felling across the city. This order comes in response to a petition filed by Ameet Singh, Hema Chari, Sathya Natarajan, and The Secular Community India, urging the court to intervene and scrutinize the practices of tree removal undertaken by the PMC.
The petitioners, represented by advocate Rajendra Kumar, argue that the law governing the protection and preservation of trees designates the Metropolitan Commissioner, not the Municipal Commissioner, as the chairman of the Tree Authority. According to Kumar, the Municipal Commissioner has allegedly assumed this crucial role, rendering all notices and orders related to tree-felling post-2015 illegal, particularly since the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) came into existence.
The crux of the matter lies in the alleged usurpation of authority by the PMC Commissioner, who is accused of conflicting roles as both the requisitioner and protector of tree-felling activities. This, the petitioners assert, dismantles the checks and balances mandated by law, leading to a breakdown in the entire tree administration process.
Ameet Singh expressed concern over the repercussions of this alleged overreach, highlighting the rampant felling of thousands of trees as if on a conveyor belt. The petitioners argue that this unchecked tree removal has resulted in irreparable damage to Pune’s environment, necessitating urgent legal intervention.
