Pune Tree Authority snippets

The Pune Tree Authority has approved an annual budget of Rs 14.90 crore for implementation of the green plan. Developing parks on forest land, tree plantation drives and providing water are some of the plans on the PTA’s agenda. The committee will now forward the budget to the civic standing committee for its approval.
According to PTA members, Rs 4 crore has been set aside for developing parks on forest department’s land in city areas, including Warje, Shivajinagar and Panchgaon Parvati. Also, the Pune Municipal Corporatiion has plans to fence forest land to prevent cutting of trees.
A provision of about Rs 20 lakh has been made for plantation on hill slope/hill top zones in the city, while Rs 44 lakh has been allocated for water supply. An amount of Rs 1 crore has been set aside for planting trees in public areas and conserving them. The garden department is planning to plant around 2.5 lakh saplings in five years in reserve forests, hills and hill slopes, amenity spaces, industrial areas, along rivers and canals, and roadsides.
The department’s Pune City Green Plan, unveiled recently, aims at boosting the city’s green cover from 2013 to 2017. As per the plan, 50,000 saplings will be planted each year. The plan also envisages site specific awareness strategies and adoption of trees by individuals and housing societies. The five-year plan was prepared by the department with the help of botanists. The civic body will follow the plan, which provides details of plantation drives, people’s participation, strategies to increase green cover and tree-adoption campaign.
The plan aims at soil and moisture conservation in areas proposed for plantation, protection of the proposed plantation area from biotic interferences, increase in the presence of native species, development of new nurseries, involvement of corporate and industrial houses in tree plantation, participatory approach by involving NGOs for conservation and maintenance of planted saplings and phased removal of exotic species such as Gliricidia from the hills.