Pune: In a significant victory for environmental advocates in Pune, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has ordered a halt to all construction activities related to the controversial Balbharti-Paud Phata road project until the Supreme Court examines the matter. The decision offers temporary protection to Vetal Tekdi, one of the city’s last remaining green lungs.
The CEC, in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, directed that no work be undertaken on land classified as “Deemed Forest” that lies along the proposed 2.1 km road alignment. The committee warned that any construction in this ecologically sensitive area would be in violation of the Supreme Court’s 1996 ruling in the T.N. Godavarman vs Union of India case, as well as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023.
This directive came in response to a petition filed by the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS), a citizen-led group striving to safeguard the biodiversity of the hill slope. The group appealed to the CEC to intervene, arguing that proceeding with the project would cause irreparable environmental harm and that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had not fulfilled the Bombay High Court’s 2016 order, which required a proper need assessment and environmental impact study prior to execution.
Following the petition, the CEC conducted a site inspection and submitted its findings to the Supreme Court, which is currently reviewing the report. Until a final verdict is delivered, the Maharashtra government has been instructed to maintain the status quo and prevent any activity in the area.
Previously, in February 2025, the Bombay High Court had declined to restrain the PMC from moving forward with the road project. However, it did emphasize the need to obtain necessary permissions from both the forest and environment departments. The court left the final decision on the project’s feasibility to the city’s planning authority, especially in light of claims that the road would help ease traffic congestion on Law College Road.
For now, Vetal Tekdi remains untouched, offering a reprieve to both the environment and the citizens advocating for its preservation.
