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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Form Statewide Policy On Compensatory Afforestation: HC to MSIDC
Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Monday directed the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) to develop a comprehensive statewide policy for tree cutting and compensatory afforestation. This directive came after reports revealed violations of the Maharashtra Urban Areas Protection and Preservation of Trees Act during infrastructure projects. A division bench comprising justices Nitin Sambre and Sachin Deshmukh granted MSIDC four weeks to submit a detailed affidavit outlining its policy, compliance measures, and monitoring mechanisms. The order emerged from the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Preeti Patel and three others, who alleged large-scale tree felling in breach of regulations during city development works. The petitioners were represented by advocate Mrinall Chakravarty, while Gemini Kasat appeared for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Earlier, the court criticised MSIDC for not fulfilling its responsibilities after a tree audit revealed that 749 of 1,861 trees planted as compensatory afforestation had died. These trees were intended to replace 36 that were cut down to construct new buildings for the district collector and divisional commissioner's offices. In Monday's hearing, MSIDC's general manager Brijesh Dixit appeared in person as previously directed and submitted an affidavit. He stated that a total of 1,779 saplings were planted to replace the felled trees and that watchmen would now be deployed to monitor the plantations at both the original and newly identified sites. However, the court deemed the response unsatisfactory and instructed Dixit to provide a more detailed and clear affidavit within two weeks, explaining all aspects of the plantation, survival rate, and long-term maintenance. The NMC Tree Authority had earlier ordered MSIDC to plant 1,735 trees to compensate for the 36 trees removed. The high number of tree deaths led to strict scrutiny and Dixit being summoned to court. In October 2024, MSIDC sought permission to fell or transplant 40 trees for constructing new buildings for the collectorate and divisional commissioner's offices. After site inspections in February 2025, the Tree Authority found 15 heritage trees and 21 non-heritage trees at risk. In a March 2025 meeting, permission was granted to cut 35 of these and transplant one tree, with the strict condition that 1,735 new trees be planted in compensation. Initially, MSIDC proposed to carry out the plantation at Gorewada. However, the court directed that all trees be planted within city limits. The agency later reported planting 1,861 trees at Vayusena Nagar, Dattawadi, Dabha, Wathoda, and near Futala Lake. Inspections conducted by the Tree Authority on June 21 and 23 revealed that 749 trees had died, over 400 were under six feet in height, and many sites lacked basic care such as water supply and fencing.
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Building Pune: How a proposed 25-km flyover can ease traffic congestion on Pune-Solapur highway
The Maharashtra government has decided to address traffic congestion on the Pune-Solapur highway by constructing a 25-km flyover from Hadapsar to Yavat, according to officials. The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC). In a recent resolution, the government announced that the elevated route from Hadapsar to Yavat on National Highway 65, between Pune and Solapur, will be developed to address traffic issues. 'Traffic jams are witnessed on the existing highway. The route is important for Pune and Solapur district to transport agricultural products, industrial goods and for other commercial purposes,' said Pradnya Walke, a Deputy Secretary in the state government. The 25-km six-lane flyover will be constructed from Hadapsar to Yavat on the existing highway, which will also be expanded to six lanes underneath. Also, a 6.5-km stretch of the highway from Yavat to Solapur will be expanded to six lanes. 'The estimated project cost is Rs 5,262.36 crore, which will be implemented on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The state government will impose a toll on all vehicles once the project opens for public use,' said an MSIDC officer. The toll will only be collected through FastTag, GPS, or other advanced technology systems as specified by the MSIDC. He added that the state government will review the toll rates every three years. The state government will provide funds for existing highway expansion only, and the remaining work will be done through a public-private partnership. If the proposed flyover has to be diverted due to the proposed Pune Metro rail line, then the MSIDC will have to seek permission from the state government. The proposed flyover on the Pune-Solapur highway is similar to the proposed Wagholi-Shirur flyover on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway and the greenfield project between Pune and Aurangabad. The state government aims to improve the traffic situation on highways while also reducing the impact at entry points and within the city of Pune. Plans are in place to divert heavy vehicles through a proposed ring road that will connect all highways passing through the city. The construction of the flyover from Wagholi to Shirur is expected to begin soon, while the missing link on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway is nearing completion. This missing link, which bypasses Lonavala on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, is expected to save passengers over half an hour in travel time and reduce fuel consumption for vehicles. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
