Protests spill out on roads as PMC decides to uproot trees

Residents say civic body misled High Court by providing false information about trees replantation

Residents say civic body misled High Court by providing false information about trees replantation

Theu00a0civic body's decision to uproot about 35 trees dotting the road divider on the JM Road brought local residents, educationists and conservationists on the road yesterday in a state of protest.u00a0 The tree lovers said the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had submitted misleading information to the Bombay High Court regarding the trees on the stretch of JM Road from Modern Cafe chowk to Simla Office Junction.


Shifting base: The PMC dismantled the cement bases of trees on a
road divider on the lane connecting Modern Cafe to Simla Office Junction.
The trees will be replanted soon. pic/ Krunal Gosavi

D B Vahikar, a tree lover, said the PMC had flouted many rules. "As per the high court order, the PMC has to replant the trees in a nearby vicinity and submit a detailed plan of the procedure. This has not been done by the civic body, but they were prompt to deracinate the trees," he said. "The trees are not hindering vehicle movement on the road."

They said the PMC had already removed the divider and also the cement base constructed for the trees. The civic body has been demolishing the cement base and planning to replant the trees elsewhere, the residents said. The PMC wants to make the Modern Cafe to Simla Office Junction lane a one-way road by removing road divider, they said.u00a0u00a0

Milind Ekbote, former director and board member of the Modern High School and a social activist, said the PMC had planted these trees in conjunction with the local people 10 years ago. "I was also part of the drive and have nourished and watered the trees with my hands," Ekbote said. "The plantation work was carried out on the road as per the road widening development plan of 1987. Now, citing the same reason, the garden department, PMC, is again asking to remove the trees elsewhere."

Milind Gade, resident of Simla Office Colony, said the locals had suggested that the PMC and the traffic police put up a board to direct drivers to the proper lanes. "Those wanting to go to the University of Pune should keep to the left lane, while others should use the right lane. Former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Manoj Patil had assured us such a board would be erected, but it never came up and Patil got transferred," Gade said.

The Other Side
Bhanudas Mane, deputy commissioner of garden department, PMC, said the civic body had not misled the high court. "We will replant these trees safely elsewhere and assure a 100 per cent guarantee," Mane said. "Ideally, the trees have to replanted in the nearby areas, but there was no conducive stretch available. So, the trees shall be shifted to a PMC-owned military land on Alandi Road."u00a0

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