Trees dying at Metro Eco Park, Police refused help: Green Activists

Environmentalists and citizens have alleged that the Ravet police refused to help them gain access to the Metro Eco Park on Sunday to check on the condition of several trees which according to them are on the verge of dying

Environmentalists and citizens have alleged that the Ravet police refused to help them gain access to the Metro Eco Park on Sunday to check on the condition of several trees which according to them are on the verge of dying. According to the group, the refusal flies in the face of the Tree Act 1975.

Refuting allegations that many trees inside the park are dying, Minal Kalaskar, deputy collector, said that all the trees are in good condition and that the administration is taking good care of them. (HT PHOTO)

The activists have sent a complaint to the chief minister, chief secretary and Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner, and have urged authorities to take immediate action to save the trees and ensure transparency in the park’s maintenance. According to them, 140 trees in the park died last year due to neglect and the current situation could lead to more losses.

Activist Prashant Raul who complained said, “On Sunday afternoon, we asked for help by calling emergency number 112 with reference to section 2C and 20C of the Tree Act 1975 but unfortunately, the Ravet police refused to help in the matter. Trees in the Metro Eco Park are dying due to lack of watering and maintenance.”

Raul said that that they wanted to take a look at the condition of the trees as last year, 140 trees died but access to the park is prohibited. “This year too, we are concerned about a similar situation and we asked the police to help us but the assistant police inspector at Ravet police station refused to help,” Raul said. Several previous complaints, too, are pending with the Ravet police station and overall, the police are non-cooperative in citizens’ complaints, he said.

Vikas Badolia, a citizen, said that the police were not interested in entertaining them right from the beginning and did not even ask them to submit a written complaint. Despite two visits, entry to the park was refused to both the police and them (citizens and activists). “We are law-abiding citizens and hence, tried to take the help of the law. The trees in the park are dying and this is exactly what they want so that they can show that the land is barren. The permission to set up the Election Commission building was taken showing that the land is barren,” Badolia said.

Senior police inspector, Nitin Fatangare, attached to the Ravet police station, said, “If the citizens or environmentalists have any issues, the police are happy to help them as per the provisions of the law. The police too were refused permission to enter the campus twice. We too need permission to enter the park as the area is classified due to the Election Commission office inside. We had asked the activists to give a written complaint but no complaint was given. However, the citizens can contact me if they need any help in this case.”

Refuting allegations that many trees inside the park are dying, Minal Kalaskar, deputy collector, said that all the trees are in good condition and that the administration is taking good care of them. “We have installed pipelines to water these trees and also drip irrigation has been started in the park. A gardener has been appointed who takes care of these trees and cleans the park. We are working on it to nurture and protect the trees,” she said.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNTDA) had approved the establishment of the eco park in 2016 to compensate for the razing of trees during the Maha-Metro construction work. The park was later handed over to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Environmentalists and citizens took on the task of planting rare species from the Sahyadri mountain range. Over a period of six years, they successfully nurtured 1,000 trees from 250 different species, creating a new ecosystem. However, since September 2023 when the administration decided to construct an Election Commission building inside the park, the trees have been under threat, activists claimed. According to them, entry to the park has been barred with the intention of killing the trees and developing the remaining land.