In a bid to protect the invaluable forested areas of Pune, the Forest Department has issued an urgent appeal to the Revenue Department to prioritize the surveying of forest lands. As encroachments on these critical forested spaces continue to rise, the need for proper demarcation and protection of these lands has become a pressing concern.
Despite efforts to identify these forest areas, many remain undemarcated, leading to encroachments for commercial, residential, and agricultural use, and even becoming dumping grounds for construction debris in some instances.
According to the most recent forest stock analysis conducted by the department between 2020 and 2022, the Pune Division encompasses a total area of 7,831 square kilometers, with 775.85 square kilometers designated as reserved forests, protected forests, and unclassified forest areas.
Mahadev Mohite, the deputy conservator of forest, explained, “Pune is the second most populated city in Maharashtra, making land extremely valuable. This has led to frequent attempts by locals to encroach upon forest lands. During the previous plan period, we managed to evict encroachments from 438 hectares of forest land. However, it has come to our attention that in some areas, forest lands are still being encroached upon.”
To combat this issue, the Forest Department requires accurate survey records from the Revenue Department to ensure the proper demarcation and protection of forested areas.
Mohite further emphasized, “We are urging them to prioritize a land survey of the forest land in the district. Land encroachment has been primarily identified in the western region, but the forest department also holds lands in key locations within the city and on hills.”
Over the past five years, the Forest Department has launched several significant anti-encroachment campaigns, including the removal of approximately 50 food stalls that had encroached upon forest territory at Sinhagad Fort in November 2022. Actions have also been taken in various areas, such as Mohammadwadi, Wadgaon Maval, Bhamburda, Daund, Baramati, and Indapur forest ranges, to protect and reclaim forest lands from illegal encroachments.
