E-Paper
YourSpace: Pune residents unite to protect Vetal tekdi
With greenery count losing to rapid urbanisation, residents list out steps that the authorities should take to sustain ecological balance in the city
While the MIT educational institute states that the road built on the Vetal tekdi green belt is their land and it will be used by its students and public in general to walk up the hill, PMC took action only after public outcry. The civic administration’s late response exposes its accountability. With greenery count losing to rapid urbanisation, residents list out steps that the authorities should take to sustain ecological balance in the city...
Residents have emotional attachment with hills
We are grateful to PMC for stopping work on the illegal road built by MIT on Vetal tekdi and trust they will not give any permissions in future for construction activity here or on other parts of the tekdi. Twenty five thousand people signed an online petition opposing the road in just a few days, and a weekend signature campaign on the tekdi by some youngsters garnered 5,400 signatures. This stands testimony to the emotional attachment people in Pune have for Vetal tekdi. This part of the hill may officially belong to MIT, but the tekdi itself, the grasslands and forests on it and the precious aquifers it contains benefits all Punekars – and we all have a stake in preserving this tekdi as a natural heritage site for future generations. The vital role of urban forests and grasslands in mitigating climate change risks is well recognised now. Several studies have shown the benefits of urban green space in fostering physical and psychological well-being of citizens. We may have won this battle, but the war continues. We plan to petition the CM to start the process for identifying “Deemed Forests” in Maharashtra and to notify tekdis in Pune as natural heritage sites in the Development Plan. This, we feel, will keep the tekdis safe to some extent from the relentless threats of construction activity in the name of development.
Sushma Date
The tekdi is the heart and lung of the city
The main issue is not the purpose of the road or the action of PMC. It is that Vetal tekdi is a cohesive area stretching from Chatuhshrungi up to Chandani chowk. It is the heart and lung of the city which needs to be protected at any cost. Thousands of people are regular visitors there and people don’t wish that Pune, the city of tekdis (hillocks), should lose one. It is the responsibility of each and every stakeholder to respect this wish and follow the laws and guidelines of city and state governments. Every stakeholder should have a broad view of environment and not just a narrow vision of land rights. The civic authorities have full support of the citizenry. The government should follow the constitutional principle of equality before law, public trust doctrine. The hill top rules and other regulations should be applied and executed.
Anay Pethe
Apathy in destruction of hills
Attempt by anyone to deviate from protecting the environment, causing irreversible ecological imbalance to the few remaining natural green spaces in the heart of the city, damage natural aquifers, and home to rare flora and fauna must be alerted and opposed. And the area groups and citizens who reported this serious breach must be applauded. Any such human intrusion on bio-diverse zones and hill tops/hill slopes will eventually lead to encroachments, hawkers, food stalls, hutments, amusement areas, after which the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) will put up their hands for not being able to control the illegal explosion. What is most disheartening is that an educational institute, to drive home its point is behaving as if no violation has taken place. However, it cannot be denied that senior PMC officers of the said area and said department have been alert enough to take immediate cognizable action. It is a result of non-accountability.
The Bombay High Court in the matter of PIL no. 156 of 2006 for another road on the same tekdi (hill), emphasised the doctrine of public trust under which the government has the responsibility to protect natural resources for the general public. As such, it remains the irrevocable duty of the state to protect and improve the environment under Article 48A of the Constitution of India.
Even if privately owned, all tekdis are the lungs of Pune and belong to all Punekars. So, no permission must be granted, even in retrospect to MIT for any construction activity of laying a 20 feet wide road from Paud going to the top of Vetal tekdi through the hill slope of survey no. 123, that too in hill top/hill slope zone. Blatant violation has been ignored since this tekdi figures on the draft list of 46 natural heritage sites identified as per state government notification dated 27/09/2000 was sent along with PMC commissioner’s covering letter dated 25/04/2002
Development Control Rules 2017 for hill top hill slope zone (HTHS) lists categories that are not allowed for roads, gazebos, meditation centres, restaurants. It defines the importance of maintaining biodiversity to restore and protect hills in and around Pune
Qaneez Sukhrani
There are deep-rooted issues regarding saving hills
As a regular tekdi-goer for the past 22 years, I know the number of times since 2005 up until now that I have begged people to support me for protecting the Vetal tekdi against destruction. As a citizen, I can say a few things. Ecological balance is something very, very deep. The reasons why there is such a rapid growth of builders and politicians grabbing the tekdi are not only just about greed, profitability and utter shamelessness. There are other deep-rooted problems associated with it, like daily transport, population control, modernisation in villages, and accountability of a higher power/a governing body, for so far, we have battled with political parties, officials, builders and the likes for the tekdi.
An interesting aspect is that every single political party becomes one when it comes to destroying the tekdi. Of course everyone has a stake in that profit when it is so neatly rigged by builders. Despite the High Court orders, encroachments, destruction and illegal digging has systematically been taking place on the hills of Pune. Where is the accountability in all this!? How many times must ordinary citizens rise to protect the tekdi that they love, because these politicians multiply like cockroaches in taking bribes for profitability, and rely on public fatigue? Despite laws, politicians are clearly above them and there is absolutely no accountability here, when several crores are dangled in front of their filthy noses. In a very recent example, around 70 of us had fixed a meeting with a local corporator. It resulted in a screaming match with her, with the 70 of us yelling about protecting the tekdi, shoving forest laws down her throat which she and her husband clearly refused to even consider. We’d come to respect her over several years. Now, all that trust we had has vanished. Another example is the Bavdhan hills, where a builder built a 10+ storeyed apartment, which now can no longer be occupied because he got a stay order, since that building is illegal. But the forest land had already been destroyed for building it.
Asira Lele
Residents have to always fight to save hills
I am a regular tekdi-goer since I was in kindergarten. Vetal tekdi has always been a place close to my heart. Pune city has many hills, may it be Taljai, Waghjai, Parvati or Vetal hill, almost all of them have fallen prey of our unending greed for development. Vetal tekdi is not only the largest hill in the city, but it is the only hill having a natural water body, a grassland and forest. It is the most popular hill among youth and it is also famous among bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts. It is really disheartening that, every time something happens to tekdi, all tekdi goers have to stand there carrying awareness drives and signature campaigns to protect the hill, while those having power and resources simply fail to understand the environmental importance of our hills. The incidence of a gaur sighting at foothills of Mahatma hill is really an eye-opener. We are not just disturbing the hills, we might be destroying the movement corridors used by wildlife, every time we build a road across some hill. Of Nobody is against development, but we all tekdi lovers fail to understand, “Why our path of development always passes through one of the very few green spaces left in the city?”
Niteesh Sane
Authorities must take responsibility
Vetal tekdi does not belong to MIT. They have no ownership rights on so called their side hence stop accepting their wrong claim. The forest department in Pune is completely silent despite their duty to stop any unlawful and destructive activity despite claims to the contrary by a third party. They are responsible to ensure that hills and forests are protected from harmful activity. Why are they silent and not taking any action against MIT? PMC corporators have revived plan to fleece us of our forests, forestlands, grasslands, hills, streams, aquifers held by them in their trust, which will be slow death of all fauna and flora.
Nandinidevi Pant Pratinidhi
Give bird sanctuary status to hills
The population and species diversity is great in hills as the area is ideal for vegetation. Avian frequency is great. Many bird sanctuaries in India have a small area. Likewise, Vetal hill complex has nearly 10 sqkm area, extending from Bavdhan to Vetal tekdi. Many ornithologists and naturalists have the actual species records along with proofs. Private land owners having plots on hills should be made aware about conserving greens and the forest department should appoint guards to ensure there is no encroachment on hill slopes.
Arnav Gandhe
Compiled by Prachi Bari
