The Bombay High Court has disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to stop the cutting and replanting of trees along a 9km stretch of the Mula-Mutha Riverfront Development (RFD) project, after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) assured the court it would properly maintain the replanted trees. The PMC informed the court that it had already planted 7,469 trees as of July 11, following permissions granted in phases to cut 1,302 and replant 1,843 trees. The court stated that if any future proposals to cut trees are submitted, petitioners are free to raise objections at that time.
PMC argued that the PIL was an attempt to delay the project, even though 60% of the work had already been completed and all environmental and legal clearances had been followed. The civic body emphasized that the tree cutting and transplantation process was carried out in phases, with most of the work now completed. The court took note of PMC’s affidavit and the environmental clearance received from the central government, effectively allowing the project to continue while ensuring accountability for maintaining the newly planted trees.