Trees in Pune have new friends now

Indian Express, Pune Newsline 1st Feb’06 - Vinita Deshmukh

"Two large trees - a Sesam tree and a Gulmohor tree -  on Max Mueller Bhavan Road, off Boat Club Road, are being cut down by the Garden Department of the Pune Municipal Corporation. The public has been given 15 days time to record their objections. Please come forward to submit your objections.''This is an appeal from Firoza Saran, a member of the Pune Tree Watch,  who, on January 30, halted the PMC from chopping off one of the two trees by confronting the people who had come to fell it, for the sake of a drainage line. When Saran asked them for a challan from the PMC for proof, they did not possess any. Says she, ``They made me ring up Mr. Gharpure, who is is second-in-command to PMC's Garden Superintendent Yashwant Khaire. He said that a drainage line was being laid below the tree and therefore the tree had to be chopped. I argued that they are supposed to paste a notice on the tree and give the public 15 days time to submit their objections.'' The result: they only cut one of the branches which had already been chopped off and have left the tree alone at the moment. Interested citizens may submit their objections. Pune Tree Watch, a citizen pressure group founded by Kalpavriksh an environmental organisation, which is on red alert about tree felling in Pune, has to its credit, saved 350 trees in the last three months. Founded in July 2005, its 85 odd members besides interacting and sending alerts on the yahoo discussion groups, meet the members of the Tree Authority and the

garden Superintendent, regularly. Says Tasneem Balasinorwala, one of its prominent members, ``Not many know that whenever even a single tree has to be felled, the PMC is required to

put up a notice on a conspicuous part of the tree, so that citizens can raise objections in the given period.''' As per the law, the PMC periodically comes out with a docket which contains the list of applications that have been submitted to the garden department for tree felling. This docket is required to be published in prominent newspapers to facilitate the public for filing suggestions and objections. It is also mandatory for the PMC to put up a notice on a conspicuous part of

a tree which is slated to be felled. But how many of you have seen such a sight? The Pune Tree Watch members aim to bring awareness amongst citizens to save trees, which they say are being indiscriminately felled. Says, Vinod Jain, one of the die-hard activists, ``It is also mandatory for any contractor or PMC personnel who come to fell a tree to have a valid challan from the

garden department. Often, when I confront them, they either do not have a challan or if they have, it is sometimes for just one tree but you see them chopping several trees. Sometimes, permission is given to cut-off just a branch or two but they hack the whole tree.”The organisation says on its website, that, about 17,000 trees have been felled in the city in the last three years. Members say that citizens are generally helpless when they see trees being chopped in the neighbourhood. They either give distress calls to newspaper offices, police stations or the

PMC. Instead, the Pune Tree Watch is playing the role of a support group and would help any citizen who wants to object to any tree felling.The Pune Tree Watch members, have begun inspecting the sites, once they receive the docket from the PMC, which they collect personally. Thanks to their constant interaction with the authorities, they have got an assurance from the Pune Municipal Corporation's Garden Department that joint site visits will be organised through the month to scrutinise whether the applications received for tree felling fulfill the criteria for felling of the tree. Since the PMC gives just two to three days for raising objections against

any tree felling, the members say, ``this can be a tedious process and one  needs to be prompt and present whenever possible. So if such visits spread  out over the month, it becomes a bit more easier, better and more people can start getting involved.'' The Pune Tree Watch is looking out for area wise representatives.In case, you would be interested, you may contact: Tasneem Balasinorwala - on 98509 18042. Or send a fax on: 91-20-25654239 or email tasul@vsnl.net.

The website address is:   www.kalpavriksh.org

IF a tree is being cut in your neighbourhood

* Contact the garden superintendent of PMC, Yashwant Khaire on:

25538553/25538514

* Ask, if permission has been given? If so, is it for pruning or is it for felling the tree?

* Ask, why no notice had been put up on a conspicuous part of the tree?

* Write a mail to tasul@vsnl.net so that your alert can be put up onto the website and help you follow up.

SOME MILESTONES

July 2005:  Tasneem sent an alert on the number of trees which were being felled in Kubera Park Society, Lullanagar. This was the second time that they were trying to cut down the trees after their first attempt was reported to Khaire, and permission was denied for the same. This was duly

reported to the garden superintendent,  Khaire and the society has been slapped with a fine amount.

August 2005: More than 100 trees were slated for felling at Karve Road for road widening purpose. An alert was sent by Ravindra Latey and he prepared an alternative proposal for storm water drainange and service ducts. Many citizens from the area including members of the Pune Tree Watch joined the campaign. On September 13, the PMC accepted the alternative proposal and saved many trees.

September 2005: Satish Khot sent an alert when he saw - on a construction site on Mangaldas Road/ Naylor Road - an excavator being used to dig the foundation. The digging seemed to be very close to the trees. So a group of them got together and went to the site and found that the excavations had exposed the roots of one tree. Further, the digging was very close to the second tree - a magnificent rain tree with a diameter of about 10 feet. They asked for the certified drawings, commencement certificate, permission to cut trees. They rung up the ward officer, city engineer, the garden Superintendent and the nearby police chowkey. It worked. They found that

permission had not been given to cut these two trees and the buildings to be constructed were nowhere close to these trees. The builder had to fill up the earth, which he had excavated.

September 2005: Vinod Jain, a member of Pune tree Watch informed the Pune Tree Watch that seven gulmohur trees were cut opposite the Ohel Synagogue, at Moledina Road, to make way for a hoarding. A complaint was made to the garden Superintendent. However, Jain says that on Tuesday, more trees were felled. Jain has lodged a complaint again.

VINITA DESHMUKH