Pune residents outraged after artificial trees built on Aundh-Wakad road

Trees help lower the surface and air temperatures which in turn helps keep the surrounding areas cool

Residents of Pune have taken to social media after several ‘artificial trees’ have cropped up on the sides of the Aundh-Wakad road. This move has led to outrage on the part of the citizens as it comes after several real trees were cut to make way for infrastructural development in the city.

This move has led to outrage on the part of the citizens as it comes after several real trees were cut to make way for infrastructural development in the city. (HT PHOTO)

One resident, Jaideep Baphna, wrote to X, “PMC must cool the streets naturally, and by reducing cars - not by cutting trees & widening roads, to increase cars!”

Trees help lower the surface and air temperatures which in turn helps keep the surrounding areas cool.

Another resident, Sushma Date, also tweeted, “Speechless! PMC, PCMC - cut real, full-grown trees for road projects and then erect artificial metal ‘trees’ to ‘beautify’ the roads. Considering that we are facing an urban heat crisis in Pune, this is criminal - heads should roll for this.”

Orders to cut down trees have been given and observed in several parts of the city. The solution given by the civic bodies is to transplant the trees.

“According to a Supreme Court ruling, 1.25 by 1.25 metres should be a non-concretised zone which should be kept in mind. Otherwise planting and then filling it up with concrete is just going to make the plant die,” said Sathya Nataranjan, in a video posted by a resident on X.

The installation of such artificial trees is not a first for the municipal corporations in Pune. PMC was also criticised in 2023 when they spent ₹25 lakh on such trees during the G20 meeting that was to be held in the city.

HT reached out to both PMC and PCMC for a comment but received no response.