Pune's heritage trees need protection'

PUNE: The city is home to around 45 heritage trees, but they have not been identified or labelled by the civic authorities, says amateur botanist Shrikant Ingalhalikar. What's more, the tree census, supposed to be carried out every five years, has not been conducted. And over the years, many trees have been felled in the name of development.
Ingalhalikar is in the process of documenting heritage, exotic and rare trees in the city.He says the city is home to 425 species of trees, of which 40 to 45 are heritage trees, many of them around 300 years old.
Once a tree is labelled heritage', or one that deserves special recognition due to age, historical significance or rarity, it has a better chance of being taken care of and conserved, he said.
For example, there is a 400-year-old peepal tree atop Parvati hill. Nanasaheb Peshwar performed a thread ceremony on this tree in 1754. There is another 400-year-old frangipani' tree on Parvati hill and a Banyan tree, more than 100 years old, on the Pune University grounds, said Ingalhalikar.
Ingalhalikar has given a preliminary list of such trees to the PMC. At present, he is identifying the trees in the city and adding more than 100 species to his list. The trees to be included in Pune's heritage list will be selected on their aesthetic and ecological merits and a book with the list will be released in March 2010, Ingalhalikar said.
When contacted, PMC garden department head Bhanudas Mane said that no steps were being taken by the civic authorities to identify and label heritage trees in the city.
According to Tasneem Balasinorwala, member of the Pune Tree Authority (PTA), the PTA's role is to protect and preserve all trees. "The last census of existing trees in Pune was carried out in 1996. It's supposed to be carried out every five years. There are many reasons for this, including lack of discipline among bodies. There should be streamlining and co-ordination between the PTA and the garden department of the PMC (implementing agency),'' she said.
The state government is in the process of amending the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. The PMC has put forth suggestions for the same.
According to activists, the Act will not only regulate tree-felling, but also impose control over cutting down of trees. Rules have been inserted to conserve heritage trees that are more than 100 years old, said Balasinorwala.