Finally, PCMC files police complaint for illegal tree felling
Earlier on March 14, the PCMC said that the tree felling incidents that occurred in Baner and Pimple Nilakh are due to floods, storms etc
While the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on March 14 stated that it has no role in the illegal tree felling incidents that occurred in Baner and Pimple Nilakh, the corporation on Monday, March 24, filed a non-cognisable police complaint against an unknown person in Baner for unauthorised tree felling and against RFD contractor, Shankar Rathod of Ayyappa Construction, in Pimple Nilakh for illegal cutting of tree branches; officials said on Wednesday.
Earlier on March 14, the PCMC said that the tree felling incidents that occurred in Baner and Pimple Nilakh are due to floods, storms etc. But on Monday, March 24, the PCMC filed a non-cognisable complaint at Sangvi police station for unauthorised tree felling. The complaint was filed by Anil Gaikwad, 53, staff of the PCMC garden department. As per the complaint, “In the course of the Mula River Rejuvenation and Improvement Project, the complainant on March 8, 2025, observed an unknown person illegally cutting trees in the Mula River area near Pimple Nilakh and Panchsheel Nagar (beside Ingwale Chowk). A total 21 trees were felled without permission including three Subabul, one Neem, and 17 thorny Babul trees.” The Sangvi police have registered a non-cognisable offence under sections 8 and 21 of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act 1975, officials said.
In the previous incident near the Pimple Nilakh cremation ground on January 13, 2025, Shankar Rathod of Ayyappa Construction was seen cutting the branches of trees of varying thickness without permission. Branches of over 12 trees including two thorny Babul, three Subabul, five Karanj, one Umber, and one Vilayati Chincha were chopped without permission, the complaint said.
Prashant Raul, the environmental activist who had complained to the PCMC, was unhappy and demanded that an FIR be registered by the civic body. “Several fully grown trees have been cut illegally without permission by the contractor of the RFD project. The PCMC was supposed to file an FIR but after much delay, it filed a non-cognisable offence instead. We don’t know who it is protecting,” Raul said.
Umesh Dhakne, assistant commissioner, garden department, PCMC, who is also the tree officer of the civic body, said, “The complaint has been given by us to the police about several trees being reportedly cut. The cutting was carried out by some unknown people. However, due to pressure from environmental activists, the name of the RFD contractor was mentioned in one incident.”