BJP MLA demands PCMC policy for tree trimming in private societies, officials flag challenges

Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has been urged by a BJP MLA to formulate a policy to trim trees within housing society premises, with the claim that residents are complaining about the rising cost of maintaining large trees in their compounds.However, PCMC officials told TOI that the proposal is difficult to implement due to shortage of manpower and the financial burden it would place on the civic body.The matter was raised by BJP MLA Shankar Jagtap with municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi and other civic officials during a meeting on Monday. Jagtap claimed that the demand came after several housing societies complained to him about the rising costs of maintaining such greenery on their premises."At present, PCMC undertakes pruning of trees only in public spaces. There is no financial or administrative provision for trimming trees within private housing societies. Societies have to spend large amounts of money from their own funds, especially before the monsoon," Jagtap explained.According to the MLA, civic officials agreed in-principle to work on a policy that would provide relief to housing societies struggling with the increasing costs of tree pruning.But senior PCMC officials were non-committal and admitted that implementing such a policy would be a major challenge. "We are still discussing the issue and whether it will be feasible since it involves many challenges," a senior civic official said, requesting anonymity.The official said that the corporation currently has only eight personnel assigned for tree trimming work — one for each ward office — and even the existing staff is insufficient to manage trees in public areas."The existing manpower is inadequate even for ongoing work. A proposal has already been moved to appoint eight additional personnel, so that at least two staffers are available for each ward. It is likely to be approved within a week," the official said.Officials also pointed to the financial implications of extending the service to private societies. PCMC has more than 7.5 lakh registered properties, including residential, commercial and industrial units, most of them residential. Covering all housing societies every year would put enormous pressure on the civic administration, officials said.Residents, meanwhile, said regular pruning is necessary to prevent accidents during the monsoon and avoid damage to vehicles and buildings.Sachin Siddhe, chairman of Nano Homes housing society, which has 350 flats, said societies are already burdened with expenses on water tankers, sewage treatment plant maintenance and other essential services. "Tree pruning has become another major financial burden. We recently spent around Rs24,000 to trim 15 trees through private contractors. We have nearly 150 trees in the society and expect to spend around Rs2.4 lakh to trim all of them this year," Siddhe said. He added that tree trimming is a routine exercise that must be carried out at least once every one or two years.Residents said most societies prefer hiring private contractors, who not only carry out the pruning work but also obtain the necessary permissions from PCMC and dispose of the waste after completion.Societies that wish to undertake pruning on their own must obtain permission from the garden department of PCMC. Residents, however, complained that the approval process is lengthy and cumbersome.Civic officials denied delays in granting permissions. "Applications are cleared on priority. Once approval is granted, supervisors from the ward concerned remain present during pruning to ensure that norms are followed and trees are cut only as per permission," the official said.PCMC is currently carrying out pre-monsoon tree trimming in public areas across the city. Civic teams are surveying trees and pruning those identified as potentially dangerous before the onset of heavy rain.