‘Let’s hug timber’ agitation in Mutha riverbed in Pune metropolis to protest felling of timber 

By PTI

PUNE: Hundreds of activists on Saturday staged the ‘Chalo Chipko’ (Let’s hug timber) agitation inside the Mutha riverbed in Pune metropolis to protest the felling of timber for the formidable Pune River Front Development (RFD) mission.

The mission envisages enchancment of a 44-kilometer stretch of the river monetary establishment comprising 22.2 km of the Mula river, 10.4 km of the Mutha river and 11.8 km of the Mula-Mutha river.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the muse stone of the mission in March 2022.

The protesters held placards, shouted slogans and hugged the timber alongside the riverbank whereas forming a human chain.

The activists accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of destroying pure greenery alongside the riverbank near Bund Garden inside the determine of its River Rejuvenation Project.

Various thousand timber along with some unusual and former timber are being scale back down for a 1-km stretch of the riverfront, they alleged.

The PMC, nonetheless, refuted the claims and acknowledged there are no earlier and unusual among the many many timber that is likely to be affected.

“During the work of river rejuvenation, it is necessary to cut some trees, and in their place, more than 65,000 trees will be planted,” it acknowledged in a press launch.

Activist Sarang Yadwadkar claimed that flood ranges of the Mula and Mutha rivers would rise by 5 toes because of mission as a result of the width of the water course is being diminished.

“Environmental clearance was given on the condition that not a single tree will be cut, but without any permission, the PMC has already started felling trees inside the river bed,” he alleged.

Mangesh Dighe, environmental officer on the PMC, acknowledged the goal of the mission is to protect the river monetary establishment on both sides from flood and timber may be planted to create a inexperienced belt inside the coronary coronary heart of city.

“The main aim is to make the area pollution free as the sewage water will be diverted into the sewage treatment plant,” he acknowledged.

“About 10,000 trees are affected but more than 3,000 trees will be preserved. More than 4,000 trees will be transplanted and only 3,000 trees will have to be removed. The trees which we are going to plant are complementary to the ecosystem of river,” he acknowledged.

PUNE: Hundreds of activists on Saturday staged the ‘Chalo Chipko’ (Let’s hug timber) agitation inside the Mutha riverbed in Pune metropolis to protest the felling of timber for the formidable Pune River Front Development (RFD) mission.

The mission envisages enchancment of a 44-kilometer stretch of the river monetary establishment comprising 22.2 km of the Mula river, 10.4 km of the Mutha river and 11.8 km of the Mula-Mutha river.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the muse stone of the mission in March 2022.googletag.cmd.push(carry out() googletag.present(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

The protesters held placards, shouted slogans and hugged the timber alongside the riverbank whereas forming a human chain.

The activists accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of destroying pure greenery alongside the riverbank near Bund Garden inside the determine of its River Rejuvenation Project.

Various thousand timber along with some unusual and former timber are being scale back down for a 1-km stretch of the riverfront, they alleged.

The PMC, nonetheless, refuted the claims and acknowledged there are no earlier and unusual among the many many timber that is likely to be affected.

“During the work of river rejuvenation, it is necessary to cut some trees, and in their place, more than 65,000 trees will be planted,” it acknowledged in a press launch.

Activist Sarang Yadwadkar claimed that flood ranges of the Mula and Mutha rivers would rise by 5 toes because of mission as a result of the width of the water course is being diminished.

“Environmental clearance was given on the condition that not a single tree will be cut, but without any permission, the PMC has already started felling trees inside the river bed,” he alleged.

Mangesh Dighe, environmental officer on the PMC, acknowledged the goal of the mission is to protect the river monetary establishment on both sides from flood and timber may be planted to create a inexperienced belt inside the coronary coronary heart of city.

“The main aim is to make the area pollution free as the sewage water will be diverted into the sewage treatment plant,” he acknowledged.

“About 10,000 trees are affected but more than 3,000 trees will be preserved. More than 4,000 trees will be transplanted and only 3,000 trees will have to be removed. The trees which we are going to plant are complementary to the ecosystem of river,” he acknowledged.