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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Citizens demand halt to digging on Taljai hills for cement road
Pune: Environmentalists have raised serious objections to the ongoing construction of a cement concrete (CC) road on a walking trail within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits on Taljai hill. The civic body has reportedly dug a 1-1.5-metre-wide stretch to construct the road, drawing criticism for the ecologically-damaging excavation work in a sensitive natural habitat. Citizens demand halt to digging on Taljai hills for cement road The 108-acre forest patch where the construction is taking place falls within the municipal limits and is part of a designated nature habitat. Activists fear that this is part of a growing trend of encroachment and unplanned development that threatens Pune's remaining green spaces. Citing Pune's rich natural and cultural heritage, activists pointed out that unchecked urbanisation in the past two decades has severely impacted the city's environment. Issues such as air pollution, shrinking forest cover, water scarcity, and poor waste management have become increasingly serious. They urged PMC to take strict legal action against those responsible for the digging and dumping, and to restore the disturbed sections of the hill with eco-friendly materials. Adding to the concern, debris from the excavation has been dumped in surrounding areas, damaging shrubs and trees. Some native plant species have also been destroyed due to the heavy machinery used for the work. A PMC road department official said, 'The work involves building a cement road to ensure safe and durable access for pedestrians. Care is being taken to minimise environmental damage. We are not constructing a wide road for vehicles, but a narrow concrete path to make walking easier during all seasons.' Environmental scientist Dr Sachin Punekar, president of the Biospheres organisation, has submitted a formal representation to PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, requesting him to stop the digging work to protect the hill's biodiversity. 'This trail lies inside a forested area of the hill and is not used by vehicles. There is no justification for building a concrete road here,' he said. Dr Punekar said the Pachgaon-Parvati (Taljai) hill is rich in biodiversity and home to small animals, birds and insects living in the scrub forests. 'This kind of unscientific construction has disrupted natural water streams and harmed the habitat. The work must be stopped immediately, and the damaged ecosystem restored using natural materials like gravel and soil,' he added. Girish Kamble, a regular visitor to Taljai for morning walk, said, 'I've been walking here every morning for years. The natural trail was more peaceful and connected to nature. With concrete, it feels less like a hill and more like a city street.'
Time of India
3 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
PMC revamps water supply schedule in Nagar Road areas, starts new overhead storage tanks
Pune: Residents of the Nagar Road areas, including Lohegaon, Wadgaon Sheri and Dhanori, can expect improved water supply and pressure as the civic administration revamped distribution schedules and commissioned two new overhead tanks at Sanjay Park and Kalwad on Thursday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The start, however, was not hiccup-free with areas like Somnathnagar and parts of Wadgaon Sheri experiencing water supply disruptions on the first day of the new schedule. Officials from the PMC's water supply department, however, said they expected some teething troubles because of the changes and were working to resolve them. The officials said they were taking steps to ensure all areas received adequate water supply. In Somnathnagar, the water supply started at 9am on Thursday, in tandem with the revised schedule, upsetting the residents, who demanded the supply at 6am. Lohegaon resident Tejas Pawar said, "All the areas should receive water at least for four to five hours every day. The supply timings should not be odd, such as late-night hours. We often come to know that water levels in overhead tanks are not maintained properly, which hampers supply. PMC should overcome such technical issues." The residents from different pockets of Wadgaon Sheri and Lohegaon, who were unaware of the revised schedules, also faced problems. Pradip Khire, a resident of Wadgaon Sheri, said, "Many people were unaware of the revised water supply schedule. PMC should have announced the revised timetable in advance. There is a need to maintain adequate pressure in distribution lines." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Former corporator from the Nagar Road area, Yogesh Mulik, patted PMC for the efforts. "But merely revising the supply schedule will not help," he said, adding, "The administration will have to maintain adequate pressure in distribution lines, fill the overhead tanks on time and overcome the problems of lapses in valve operations." Eknath Gadekar, executive engineer at PMC's water supply department, said, "There is a plan to supply water to overhead tanks on a continuous basis to help maintain adequate pressure. We are also monitoring the functioning of valves, and reducing lapses. A tank at Harantal is expected to be functional soon. The revised supply schedule is being implemented on a trial basis. Improvements will be made based on citizen feedback. " TEETHING TROUBLES MAR START Residents in areas reliant on the Bhama Askhed project faced issues with PMC's revised water supply schedule, citing: - Lack of awareness about the new timings - Delayed water supply disrupting daily routines - Inadequate water pressure in some areas PMC MEASURES Revised the water supply schedule Commissioned two new overhead tanks, with a third pending Prioritized improving water pressure to distribution lines PAIN POINTS Erratic supply Unequal water distribution Frequent disruptions due to technical issues
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
World Breastfeeding Week: All govt health centres in state declared bottled milk-free premises
Patna: As part of the World Breastfeeding Week starting from August 1, all govt health institutes in the state will be declared bottled milk-free premises. During this week, women will also be informed about the importance of breastfeeding. State health minister Mangal Pandey said this initiative will be organised by the health department and the directorate of integrated child development. During the week, awareness campaigns will be organised to educate mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and how it prevents infant mortality. "Its importance in the mental and physical development of a child and preventing malnutrition will also be told. Various activities will be organised at district and block levels to encourage breastfeeding," stated Pandey in an official press release. At the primary health centre (PMC), activities like 'Healthy Baby Shows' will be organised to spread awareness. Healthcare workers, including ANMs, staff nurses, and Mamta workers, will go through orientation sessions to better communicate the benefits of breastfeeding and the risks associated with artificial methods.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Zone 1 has the most parks but the least green cover, zone 3 leads in open space: PMC report
PUNE: Despite having the highest number of parks, Pune's zone 1 has the least green cover in terms of area whereas zone 3 – home to fewer but larger parks – has maximum open space in the city. These are the findings of the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC's) latest Environmental Status Report (ESR) 2024–25. Zone 1 has the most parks but the least green cover, zone 3 leads in open space: PMC report As per the ESR 2024-25, zone 1 – which includes densely populated areas such as Yerawada, Vishrantwadi, Vadgaon Sheri, Dhole Patil Road, Nagar Road and Kharadi – has a total of 52 parks. However, the combined area of these parks adds up to just 3,223.12 square metres, averaging about 62 square metres per park which is barely enough for public recreation. Zone 1 residents have repeatedly raised concerns about this scenario. Sonu Adsul, a resident of Vishrantwadi, said, 'Our area is densely populated but there is not a single large park.' By contrast, zone 3—which covers Warje-Karvenagar, Sinhagad Road, Dhankawadi and Sahakarnagar—has just 40 parks yet boasts a whopping 943,514.08 square metres of parkland which includes larger green spaces like the Rajiv Gandhi Biodiversity Park and several hill zones, making it the most spacious zone in terms of greenery. Fewer parks, more pressure in zone 4 Whereas zone 4 – comprising areas such as Kondhwa, Yewalewadi, Hadapsar, Mundhwa, and Bibwewadi – has only 33 parks (568,646 square metres), which is the lowest among all the zones. Despite rapid growth in real estate and the information technology (IT) sector, this zone lags behind in terms of open green spaces. Experts point out that development plans have failed to reserve adequate land for public parks in this high-density zone. Focus on eco-restoration, not artificial greenery Sachin Punekar, botanist and former member of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) tree authority committee, has raised serious concerns over the PMC's recent claims of increasing the city's green cover through the development of public gardens and the plantation of trees. According to him, this approach lacks ecological depth and fails to address the real environmental needs of the city. 'The PMC is focusing on increasing the number of parks and planting decorative or exotic trees that look green but do not contribute meaningfully to the city's ecological health,' Punekar said. He pointed out that the greenery visible in many urban parks is largely aesthetic, featuring ornamental plants and foreign species that do not support local biodiversity. He emphasised that such greenery, while visually appealing, offers little ecological benefit and cannot substitute natural ecosystems. Instead, he urged the PMC to prioritise restoration of natural, eco-sensitive zones in and around Pune. He specifically mentioned areas such as the Ramnadi basin, Mula river and its confluence zones, Naik Bet (island) near the Mula-Mutha, and Taljai Tekdi among others. 'These are ecologically rich pockets that play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, groundwater recharge, and maintenance of ecological balance. Unfortunately, the PMC has completely ignored them in its environmental planning,' he said. Punekar recommended that such zones be officially declared as biodiversity heritage sites (BHSs) or biodiversity ownership and development (BOD) areas, ensuring their long-term legal protection and ecological management. He further criticised the PMC for failing to undertake any genuine eco-restoration project in recent years. According to him, the civic body is misleading citizens by showcasing artificial forest patches or manmade green spaces as examples of improved ecological cover. On his part, Ashok Ghorpade, chief superintendent of the PMC garden department, said, 'We have developed gardens based on the reserved land shown in the city's development plan (DP). That is why some areas have fewer gardens. But the number of gardens will increase in future as the merged villages have now come under PMC limits.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
ESR's claim of beneficiaries of property tax discount for green building norms compliance doubling under PMC questioned
1 2 Pune: PMC's latest Environment Status Report (ESR), published on Tuesday, shows that the beneficiaries of its 'green building norm property tax discount' doubled in the last six years. However, are these effects reflecting on ground? This is the question being asked by citizens, activists and experts, while demanding better scrutiny of compliance from the civic administration. The 'green discount' of 5-10% in property tax is offered to property owners who have installed solar and vermicomposting systems. Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) ESR data states that around 86,000 property owners benefited from it in 2019-20, rising to around 1.5 lakh in 2024-25. Beneficiaries crossed the 1-lakh milestone in 2020-21 for the first time and remained above this mark till the last financial year (FY). You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune But environmentalists pointed out that the civic body does not have a robust system to check if these green building facilities are even functioning properly. Refuting this, PMC officials claimed they conduct surprise checks and direct property owners to maintain the facilities if any shortcomings are found during the visits. As per PMC data, civic areas hosted around 8.5 lakh properties prior to 2017. After the merger of 11 villages, this increased to around 10 lakh. Thereafter, nearly 2 lakh properties were added to the tax ambit of PMC after the merger of 23 villages in 2021. At present, the total number of properties under PMC limits is at least 12.5 lakh. PMC set a target of Rs2,492.83 crore in revenue from building permissions for FY 2024-25, and a similar expectation of Rs2,549.79 crore from the property tax department. Interestingly, while the property tax department mopped up around Rs2,360 crore in this fiscal, the building permissions department surpassed its collection as well as its own target, drawing in around Rs2,600 crore. In the previous 2023-24 fiscal as well, the building permissions department earned over Rs2,300 crore, surging ahead of property tax collections of around Rs2,268 crore. Amid the evident rise in building permissions in the city, activists are insisting that vigilance must be heightened to ensure green compliance. Social activist Vijay Kumbhar said that PMC needs to ensure regular inspections. "The civic body made this installation of green facilities compulsory, so many societies have done it. Now, PMC should make sure these are functional," he told TOI. Suhas Patwardhan, chairman of the Pune District Co-Operative Housing Federation, echoed, "These facilities are the need of the hour. They are not only helping housing societies but are also good for the environment by reducing use of fossil fuels. Our organisation creates awareness to promote such facilities in societies. However, the implementation definitely lacks consistency." Avinash Sakpal, head of PMC's property tax department, told TOI, "The civic administration carries out surveys annually with the help of ward offices. If any property owner is found to have failed in maintaining the facilities, health officials of ward offices submit reports, and the tax discount is scrapped accordingly."
