Nearly 96 per cent of the trees transplanted or newly planted during the Ganeshkhind Road Widening Project have survived, according to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Road Department report.
The tree conservation initiative, carried out under the direction of the High Court, has largely been successful. However, the department’s report has revealed that 356 trees were lost at the Indigenous Cow Research and Training Centre in Wakadewadi.
The Ganeshkhind Road, stretching from Sancheti Hospital to Savitribai Phule Pune University Chowk, was widened to 45 metres about three years ago. The project had faced strong opposition from environmentalists over the cutting of old trees, prompting intervention by the High Court. While allowing the work, the court had directed the PMC to transplant affected trees and undertake fresh plantation. It also made geo-tagging of the trees mandatory and required submission of reports every three months.
In compliance, the PMC planted a total of 5,015 trees across multiple locations. These included 858 trees in Panchvati, 175 in Ganeshkhind, 1,889 at the Animal Husbandry Commissioner’s premises in Aundh, 447 along the adjoining riverbank, 1,290 at the poultry hatchery centre in Khadki and 356 at the Wakadewadi research centre.
The report states that the 356 trees at Wakadewadi were damaged during pipeline works. The civic body has asked the concerned centre to carry out fresh plantation to make up for the loss.
Apart from this, 182 trees were reported damaged at other locations. These include 40 in Panchvati, two in Ganeshkhind, 80 in Aundh, 25 along the riverbank, and 35 at the hatchery centre in Khadki, where trees were either burnt or broken.
