Chipko Andolan: Punekars take to streets to oppose tree cutting for riverfront project
The march was carried out on Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road, between Balgandharva Chowk and the Sambhaji Maharaj statue
Following a stern opposition to the proposed Balbharti-Paud Road a fortnight ago, a large number of citizens and activists took to the streets again on Saturday to oppose tree cutting for ongoing riverfront development and staged a Chipko Andolan.
Citizens and activists formed a circle around the trees and urged the authorities not to take down trees under the guise of development.
The march was carried out on Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road, between Balgandharva Chowk and the Sambhaji Maharaj statue, since a huge number of citizens participated in the agitations.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) recently instructed its garden department staff to take down trees for the ambitious project.
As per the primary information, the civic body plans to bring down more than 6,000 trees. As the news spread on social media that civic body is cutting trees to execute the riverfront development project, activists planned a protest.
The organisers of Chipko Andolan Priyadarshini Karve, Satya Natrajan, Amit Singh, Sanjay Lalwani and Kalyan Kale said, “PMC is not providing proper information about tree cutting. Even there is a difference between permission asked for cutting the trees and actual trees getting cut. The PMC is executing this project rather hurridly without thinking about the environment.”
Participant in the march Sayali Joshi said, “In the name of beautification, the civic is attempting to take down trees and damage the river in the pretext of beautification. Ideally, they should think about floodlike situations and what impact it will have on the project.”
Another citizen Rohit Kale remarked, “There should be a balance between environment and development. We want clean rivers like in other countries, but not at the expense of destroying the existing ecosystem.”
Participating citizens and activists created various banners and slogans to support the agitations and warned the PMC not to press ahead with the project in haste.
Meanwhile, PMC officials issued a press statement in which they stated, “Citizens are being misled. The number of trees taken down is not 6,000. While PMC is cutting bushes, the number of actual trees has increased, but these are not old trees. The PMC intended to replace 3,142 greens and we have even planned to plant about 65,000 trees along the Mula and Mutha riverbeds.”
During the survey, PMC placed a number on certain trees that were not intended to be cut, but word got circulated on social media that these old trees are being removed for the riverside project.
Meanwhile, the PMC has started the work of the Riverfront Development Project in two stretches. The first phase is between Sangam Bridge to Bund Garden and the second phase runs from Bund Garden to Mundhwa.
Ujwal Keskar, the leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has accused opposition parties of misleading citizens and green activists. The opposition parties caused the most environmental damage, but they are now opposing both the Balbharti Paud Road and the Riverfront Development Project.
“As PMC and some members of the ruling BJP are claiming that both projects are good for the city and will be implemented after study,”
While civic activist Vivek Velankar asked the PMC to hold a meeting with all the stakeholders and have an open dialogue before proceeding with the project.
