Pune Forest Department to appoint five Urban Joint Forest Management Committees
Pune Forest Department to appoint five Urban Joint Forest Management Committees
On March 4, the Pune Forest Department took a significant step in managing forest areas on hills by appointing five Urban Joint Forest Management Committees (UJFMC) within Pune City. These committees bring together the residents, NGO volunteers, forest officials and possibly ward members to oversee forest management.
The decision stems from a recent incident at Vetal Tekdi, Pune where a viral video showed two intoxicated girls, prompting concerns about the Urban forest safety.
Mahadev Mohite, Deputy Conservator of Forests and other officials convened a meeting on March 4 to address these concerns and form Join Management Committees.
These committees will focus on setting regulatory norms for hills, including entry timings and visitation guidelines for the visitors visitors the forest department’s guidance. They will also address the complaints of nuisance activities in Forest areas.
Initially, committees are designated for Hanuman, Teljai, Vetal, Wanowrie and Bavdhan Hills. The primary role of the committee is to manage the urban forest areas including collecting entry fees to fund management activities such as patrolling and acquiring safety equipment.
Furthermore, the members of the committees will actively participate in patrolling activities, ensuring the safety and preservation of Pune’s forested areas.
According to Mohite, “Currently, the Joint Forest Management Committees are working in rural areas and places like Sinhagad which are sensitive locations with regards to the environment. With people’s participation and local representation, it helps the place to run well by the Committee. A similar pattern will be implemented for Urban forests with the help of UJFMC.”
