Following two tragic fatalities caused by falling tree branches—one near Nilayam Cinema and another in Erandwane during recent rainfall—the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has finally taken decisive action to address the issue of hazardous trees.
Responding to growing public concern, the PMC has now approved 309 long-standing citizen requests to cut or trim dangerous trees. A large-scale removal and pruning initiative is currently underway across various city zones.
Civic officials have clarified that while PMC workers will carry out tree-cutting work inside private housing societies, the expenses involved will be recovered from the respective societies themselves.
In the past two months alone, the Garden Department reports addressing tree-related hazards at 748 locations across Pune. The recent uptick in operations comes after direct instructions from the Municipal Commissioner and Additional Commissioner, who had called for proactive measures ahead of the monsoon. While planning meetings were held with relevant departments, substantial action only followed after the unfortunate deaths.
Previously, permissions for pruning or removing dangerous trees rested solely with the Tree Authority Committee, which often resulted in bureaucratic delays. To streamline the process, responsibility was recently shifted to regional office-level committees. However, complaints of delays persisted, prompting intervention from senior officials.
Facing mounting criticism, the Garden Department has now fast-tracked decision-making and cleared all 309 pending applications. So far, PMC’s tree pruning vehicles have completed work at 439 sites, with operations reported at 748 locations across the city.
The civic body now aims to continue the intensified drive to mitigate risks before the monsoon peaks.
