Save trees with alternative infra designs: Garden dept

Time of India

24-04-2025

Pune: The civic body's garden department has issued a letter to various builder associations to be mindful of trees cut for construction projects.
In a letter dated April 22 and addressed to Builders Association Of India, Credai Pune, Maratha Builders Association Pune, Maratha Chambers of Commerce and the Architects Association of Pune, PMC's chief garden superintendent Ashok Ghorpade stated that it is mandatory to have alternative designs for construction projects to ensure minimal trees are cut or transplanted.
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"Before procuring a provisional NOC from the building permissions department, the developer must submit a layout plan and if there are a significant number of trees that need to be cut or transplanted, an alternative design, which calls for lesser trees to be cut or transplanted, must also be presented at the time of seeking permission," the letter stated.
Several trees have been axed over the last few years for the flyover on Ganeshkhind Road, riverfront development project and for a new building inside the ITI campus on Aundh to name a few.
There are many more that are slated to be chopped off as well. Keeping this loss of tree cover in mind, and the rising temperatures, members of Pune Samwad group, met Ghorpade.
"Trees are never stakeholders in the real estate business. The temperatures in the city have been rising and we have witnessed more than 40 degrees C continuously in April this year. PMC has finally heeded our requests and helped make trees stakeholders in all new projects.
This is a 1975 law, which we are pleased to bring to fruition in 2025," activist and economist Ameet Singh told TOI.
Advocate Maitreya Ghorpade, who was also present at the meeting, said, "The letter attempts to remedy some of the lapses in enforcement of the Tree Act as pointed out by us during the meeting held on April 8. More importantly, the letter affirms the importance of trees in protecting against rising temperatures.
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Although its implementation will pose a challenge, these pro-conservation directions by the tree authority are a welcome move. It must be noted that the letter is a direct result of persistent public pressure, and an inspiring instance of democracy in action."
The tree preservation and protection act is different from the tree felling act, but at the core of it all is safeguarding of trees, said Sathya Natarajan, author of 'Single Page Tree Act'.
"Tree felling discussions, be it for PMC projects, societies or for other developments have to focus on preservation and protection before anything else. Currently, when a tree-felling proposition is tabled, it is a massive effort on part of the citizens to ensure that minimal trees are cut. We have to come up with solutions. However, this must be done at the planning stage, so it is important for developers to submit alternative plans.
We want to see that due diligence has been done and that they have thought about preservation first," Natarajan added.
The letter by Ghorpade also highlighted increase in temperature over the last five years. "To control the rising temperatures, it is important to plant multiple trees and preserve and protect those that are already there collectively," it said.
Ghorpade said, "We have circulated this letter with the aim to save trees.
With an alternative design, developers or those seeking tree-felling permission will not get a provisional NOC. If this mandate is flouted, a complaint can be made with the Pune commissioner directly. While there are multiple reasons for rising temperature in the city and not just tree felling, we must do what we can to protect the green cover of the city."