Pune: Authorities Neglect Replantation Of Banyan Trees That Fell In Yerwada, Prompt Action Needed, Demand Activists  

Heavy rains lashed the city in the first week of June, causing widespread uprooting of trees due to strong winds. The fire brigade and municipal administration acted swiftly to remove the fallen trees. However, the current situation reveals that the municipal administration has yet to allocate time for replanting the uprooted trees.

On 19 June 2024, it was reported that over a hundred-year-old banyan trees had fallen on the mental hospital and jail road in Yerawada last week. Despite ten days passing since the incident, the municipal administration had not commenced replantation. Persistent follow-ups by the NGO ‘Pune Samvaad’ have finally prompted the municipal administration to begin digging pits for replanting the trees.

Rupesh Kesekar, Amit Singh, Vijay Suratkal, Chaitanya Kate, and Hema Chari, coordinators of ‘Pune Samvaad’, engaged with the Yerawada Nagar Road Regional Office of the Municipal Corporation to advocate for the replantation of the uprooted trees. Their efforts were initially ignored due to a lack of workers and other pressing incidents. Despite an eight to ten-day follow-up by the NGO, the field office remained evasive. Only on Tuesday did they begin preparations to replant three century-old trees along a main road.

The fallen trees’ roots had suffered damage from roadwork for water and sewerage lines, compounded by a hailstorm. The NGO expressed concerns about the government’s delayed response to the situation.

“We have been following up with the regional office for eight days to ensure these trees are replanted. They have been evasive, but today they finally started digging pits,” said Rupesh Kesekar, Coordinator of Pune Samvaad.

Ameet Singh, an economist, emphasized the importance of maintaining the city’s trees. “Every tree that is lost leads to temperature drops, reduced shade, and extreme weather conditions like sudden rainfall and heatwaves. The authorities seem insensitive towards our vegetation and lean towards concretization. If we continue losing trees like this, it will be our own loss. There are various reasons that might have led to the trees falling, but now, in cooperation with the PMC, they have agreed to address the issue,” Singh told Pune Pulse.