PMC begins work on 2-km road in Mutha basin

Brushing aside all protests, the civic body has begun laying another road in the Mutha basin, near Vitthalwadi on Sinhagad road. Experts say the move not only threatens the environment with 196 trees set to face the axe, but also is likely to constitute contempt of court.


NO way! Tree lovers hold a protest against the road work

Noted environmentalist Vijay Paranjape, president of the NGO Gomukh, objected to the Vitthwalwadi riverside road. Paranjape had fought against the laying of the Mutha riverbed road from Nava Pul to Mhatre Bridge as well.

"I have an order from district court that the riverbed road work be stopped," he said. "To lay another road in the riverbed is contempt of court."

Paranjape said the Pune Municipal Coporation (PMC) had no authority to lay the road along the riverbed as the land fell in the jurisdiction of the Irrigation Department.

"A road in the river basin itself is an encroachment. It reduces the carrying capacity of the river. It will create flood situation," he said. "Instead of cleaning the river water, the PMC is spending money on roads and other superficial beautification of the area."

RTI activists and tree lovers Vinod Jain,u00a0 Maj Gen S C N Tatar, Rajesh Shende, Neetesh Dive and Deepak Nikalje also objected to the road as it would mean cutting 196 trees of various species. Many of the trees are 100 to 200 years old and stand near historic temples.u00a0

Jain said the PMC needs to take the permission of the Irrigation Department, the Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Environment before starting work on the road.

"It is wrong to call for a hearing by the PMC when the road work has already started and notices for tree-cutting and repainting stuck on the 196 trees," he said.