PMC puts brakes on 400 proposals till the formation of Tree Authority

PUNE: With at least a month to go before the formation of the Tree Authority, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has put on hold more than 400 proposals related to trees and tree-cutting.
This move to stall comes in accordance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order in this regard. Civic officials said the activities will resume once the tribunal passes an order regarding the matter.
With the process of appointment of subject experts to the tree authority being questioned by environmental activists before the NGT, the tribunal had in April ordered that all tree-cutting activity be halted until further notice.
The subject experts were to be chosen from non-governmental organizations.
The bench had also ordered the civic body to ensure cases are filed against those found to be in violation of the order.
According to a PMC official, this has put the brakes on hundreds of proposals.
“There are between 400 and 500 proposals for tree-cutting awaiting the compliance nod. These are all on hold until the new Tree Authority is constituted in full, and the National Green Tribunal clears the Pune Municipal Corporation to carry on work on the same,” the official sai on the condition of anonymity.
As reported earlier, the body is currently scrutinising the applications from various NGOs for the seven seats on the Tree Authority, and has claimed it will form the body by the end of June.