6 days ago
Tree Funeral March: AAP protests irregularities in tree cutting in Pune
In a unique show of protest, the Adam Aadmi Party (AAP) organised a symbolic 'Tree Funeral March' on Monday to raise concerns about alleged illegal tree cutting and the lack of transparency in the tree permission process in Pune. The march, featuring participants carrying cut tree branches and saplings wrapped in white cloth, akin to dead bodies, began from JM Road and concluded at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters.
AAP leaders and volunteers accused PMC and other authorities of turning a blind eye to rampant tree felling across the city. 'Between April 2022 and December 2023 alone, official data accessed through the RTI Act shows that permissions were granted to cut 10,502 trees and transplant 11,860 trees,' the party stated in its press release.
While agencies were mandated to plant 3.4 lakh compensatory trees and deposited a total of Rs 22.5 crore for the same, AAP alleged that there is no credible or publicly accessible record to confirm whether these plantations have actually taken place.
'The Tree Authority is functioning in a non-transparent manner. Citizens are left in the dark about how decisions are made, where compensatory plantations happen, or if they survive,' said one of the party volunteers during the protest. The party has demanded an immediate halt to illegal tree cutting, a complete audit of past permissions, and the creation of a publicly monitored dashboard to track compensatory plantations.
