Now Reading: Pune green cover stuck at 10% despite Rs 108 crore park spend
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Pune green cover stuck at 10% despite Rs 108 crore park spend
Pune's green cover remains at just 10% of the 249 sq km area within the city's old limits, despite the Pune Municipal Corporation spending Rs 108.26 crore on park maintenance and repairs…
Pune's green cover remains at just 10% of the 249 sq km area within the city's old limits, despite the Pune Municipal Corporation spending Rs 108.26 crore on park maintenance and repairs over the past five financial years. The data, submitted in a written reply to Congress group leader Adv Chandu Kadam ahead of the PMC general body meeting in August, shows the city has 27.90 sq km of green cover. The garden department has developed 215 parks covering 2.45 sq km, a fraction of the total.
Spending peaked at Rs 32.22 crore in 2022-23 and covered existing parks, not necessarily expanding overall green cover. The civic body plans to use drones for its upcoming tree census to assess canopy density more accurately, with the proposal submitted to the PMC Standing Committee for approval. The census will also cover 23 newly merged fringe villages.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The National Forest Policy envisages 33% tree cover for India, and urban benchmarks recommend 10-12 sq m of green space per person. Pune's rapid construction over the past decade has consumed open land on hill slopes and riverbanks, even as the garden budget goes largely to maintaining existing parks. The drone census could provide a baseline to identify where greenery has declined. A key question is whether the PMC will reallocate funds to create new green spaces and protect natural areas. The Standing Committee's decision on the census proposal is the next concrete step to watch.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
