The Mumbai–Pune Highway, once renowned for its lush green canopy, is steadily losing its charm due to continuous road widening and infrastructure development. Now, as part of the Metro extension project from Pimpri to Nigdi, nearly 162 mature trees are proposed to be cut, posing a fresh threat to the already depleting green cover.

MahaMetro has submitted a proposal to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) seeking permission to cut down these trees, which are said to obstruct the construction of four new Metro stations. Earlier, PCMC had already granted permission to cut 17 trees that obstructed the Metro track alignment. This new request from MahaMetro has triggered concern and outrage among environmentalists and citizens, who say the project is striking at the very root of the city`s remaining greenery.

The existing Metro corridor runs 7.5 kilometres from Pimpri to Dapodi, with stations at Pimpri, Sant Tukaram Nagar, Nashik Phata, Kasarwadi, Fugewadi, and Dapodi. Significant tree felling had already occurred during that phase. The second phase now aims to extend the line by another 4.5 kilometres, from Pimpri to Bhakti-Shakti Chowk in Nigdi, at a cost of Rs 910.18 crore.