PMC urges housing societies to plant trees while residents allege delays in permissions to prune overgrown trees
While the garden department of the PMC insists that trimming permissions are mandatory under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, residents allege that the process is time-consuming and lacks transparency even in cases flagged as emergencies.
Anil Aavchite, member of Bhagvati Cooperative Housing Society in Lohegaon, said, 'This is contradictory. On the one hand, the PMC wants citizens to plant more trees while on the other, it is delaying permissions for trimming branches that are clearly hazardous. We are caught in a loop of red tape even as the risk increases every day.'
Residents also allege that the PMC's pre-monsoon inspection of trees is mostly limited to public roads while housing society premises are ignored unless there is repeated follow-up by citizens.
Dr Sachin Punekar, botanist and former member of the PMC tree authority committee, stressed the need for balance. 'Both preservation and preventive pruning are essential for urban ecology and safety. The PMC should decentralise the process and allow societies to prune branches that are clearly dangerous after submitting photographic proof.'
Spike in treefall incidents this monsoon
Meanwhile, data from the PMC fire department shows that 165 treefall incidents were recorded between January and April 2025. In the first 26 days of May alone, that number surged to 195—indicating a sharp rise in treefall incidents during the monsoon.
Nilesh Mahajan, senior fire officer of the PMC fire department, said, 'While we don't keep separate data for societies, experience shows that around 10% of treefall incidents occur within housing society premises due to lack of maintenance.'
Efforts underway, but challenges remain
Ganesh Sonune, head of the PMC disaster management cell, said, 'Instructions have been issued to the garden department officials and ward offices to fast-track pruning permissions. Societies should apply online and mark requests as emergencies if the trees in question pose a safety threat.'
According to various residents' welfare associations however, the online process is time-consuming and unreliable. 'Even when we get approval, the contractors demand hefty fees,' said a Baner-based housing society manager.
Sushas Patwardhan, president of the Pune District Cooperative Housing Federation, echoed similar sentiments saying, 'The PMC should establish a simple, single-window system for pruning requests with a fixed timeframe. Also, expert personnel should be provided at reasonable rates. Societies cannot keep waiting while unsafe trees pose daily risks. The PMC gives a three-month deadline to trim risky branches but most societies struggle due to lack of support and high contractor costs.'
Koregaon Park plantation drive sees good response
On their part, PMC officials claim that citizens are responding positively to plantation appeals in some areas. Sachin Bagade, deputy engineer, PMC road department, said, 'During the ongoing road widening on a two-kilometre stretch in Koregaon Park, around 200 trees were identified for relocation or removal. About 25 societies in the area have shown readiness to replant the trees in their premises. We will distribute saplings to them next week.'
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