Pune: PMC Forms New Tree Authority Panel To Oversee Conservation, Felling Proposals

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has constituted a seven-member Tree Authority Committee under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation and Protection of Trees Act, 1975, to oversee tree conservation, protection, felling and transplantation proposals across the city.

The appointments were announced by Mayor Manjusha Nagapure during the PMC General Body meeting on Tuesday. The committee has been formed under Section 3(1) of the 1975 Act, which mandates the establishment of a statutory Tree Authority for urban local bodies.

The newly appointed members are corporators Rupali Pawar, Komal Navale, Ujjwala Jangale, Shailjit Bansode, Sneha Kamble, Anjali Orase and Vishal Malke. The committee will begin functioning immediately.

The Tree Authority is responsible for examining applications related to the felling, transplantation and preservation of trees within PMC limits. It scrutinises proposals submitted for public infrastructure projects as well as private developments, ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation and Protection of Trees Act and other environmental regulations before granting approvals.

Apart from processing applications, the authority is tasked with promoting afforestation, recommending plantation drives and monitoring compliance with tree conservation rules. It also encourages compensatory planting wherever tree removal is permitted.

The committee assumes significance as Pune continues to witness major infrastructure works, including road widening, Metro expansion and large-scale real estate development. Officials said the authority will assess proposals involving tree removal or transplantation while ensuring that development projects adhere to environmental safeguards.

The new Tree Authority is expected to strengthen the implementation of tree conservation policies, protect the city's green cover and support sustainable urban development while maintaining ecological balance and preserving Pune's biodiversity.