PMC survey shows road digging is impacting trees adversely

PMC garden dept head Ashok Ghorpade said that road digging works involving laying cables, water and drainage lines and other utilities damage the roots of trees

Pune: The survey carried out by Pune Municipal Corporation has found around 43,000 trees damaged by road digging and concretising work.

Pune has more trees than its population. But the road digging and concretising works happening around trees is affecting the city’s green cover. (HT PHOTO)

Ashok Ghorpade, head, PMC garden department, said, “Pune has more trees than its population. But the road digging and concretising works happening around trees is affecting the city’s green cover.”

Ghorpade said that road digging works involving laying cables, water and drainage lines and other utilities damage the roots of trees.

“The damage is not observed immediately, but the trees start decaying in the next one or two years,” he said, adding that cement works closes spaces across trees for water to percolate.

“We have advised contractors to follow directives to ensure the city’s tree cover remains unaffected. The damaged trees pose danger to residents during monsoon season,” Ghorpade said.

Recently, a woman passenger lost her life after a tree branch fell on the autorickshaws she was in near Muktangan School at Sahakarnagar.