Maharashtra
,
Anandwan
,
Pune
Published :
Jul 2019
|
Updated :
Pune Residents Protest Felling of Trees for Transit Corridor, Fear Groundwater Contamination
Reported by
Aditi Patil
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
240
People affected
2013
Year started
77
Land area affected
Households affected
240
People Affected
2013
Year started
77
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
Sector
Infrastructure
Reason/Cause of conflict
Roads
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Urban
Ended
1
Summary
On July 20, 2019, around 350 people in Pune rallied in the streets to protest against the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project. The protesters formed a human chain near Anandvan hills, which is one of the green areas in the city that will be targeted by the HCMTR project. More than 1,900 trees will need to be felled. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had carried out a detailed study of the transportation requirements of Pune Metropolitan Area during 19781982. The study highlighted the need for an HCMTR corridor to support the everincreasing vehicular population and urbanisation in the city due to rapid developments in the information technology sector. The HCMTR corridor is proposed to pass through Bopodi, Aundh, Shivajinagar, Erandwane, Kothrud, Karve Nagar, Dattawadi, Parvati, Bibvewadi, Wanawadi, Salisbury Park, Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Kalyani Nagar, Yerawada and Kalas areas. The corridor is supposed to meet the future travel demand of Pune as well as reduce the traffic congestion on existing roads. The PMC included HCMTR in its development plan in 1987. However, citizens have started an online petition claiming that a plan created in 1982 cannot justify the felling of nearly 2,000 trees now. They also claim that the project will result in a huge loss of community livelihoods and heritage sites. They are further concerned about groundwater contamination in the liklihood of construction in areas that recharge groundwater. The residents had planned to agitate every week until a public hearing on August 9, 2019, which got cancelled due to heavy rains. They had earlier agitated in 2013 when they managed to collect and submit over 7,000 signatures to the concerned authorities.
2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

No items found.

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban

Type of Land

Both

Forest, Forest and Non-Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

5096

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Pune Municipal Corporation

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Anandvan Mitra Mandal Pune, Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti, HCMTR Nagrik Kruti Samiti

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Aditi Patil

Aditi is a freelance development researcher. She has a Master’s in Development Studies from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. She has previously worked with WWF India on forest-based livelihoods and international wildlife trade. She has also worked on the Forest Rights Act in Dangs district in Gujarat. Her paper, “Forest-based livelihoods, Malki practice and Forest Rights Act in Gujarat: The case of Adivasis in the Dangs,” has been published in the book, Adivasis in India: Livelihoods, Resources and Institutions, by Bloomsbury India.

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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

No items found.

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

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