In a significant move for urban conservation, citizen collectives in Pune have formally pressed the state's expert committee on deemed forests to classify the complete Vetal hill complex as forest land. This demand is rooted in Supreme Court directives, official forest department archives, and multiple biodiversity assessments.
Legal and Administrative Evidence Presented
Acting under the banner of the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti (VTBKS), the groups submitted a detailed representation to senior forest officials. They highlighted the escalating development threats facing large segments of the hill that fall outside the formally notified reserved forest zone. The activists pointed out that while roughly 95 hectares of Vetal hill enjoy reserved forest designation, nearly 200 additional hectares host vital forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems.
The representation singled out survey numbers 49 to 53, located behind the Indian Law Society (ILS). It argued that these privately held plots were afforested by the Pune forest department in the 1990s under the Green Pune social forestry scheme. Consequently, they fulfill the legal criteria for 'forest' as defined by the Supreme Court in the landmark T N Godavarman case.
Sushma Date, a member of VTBKS, stated that the forest department's own correspondence bolsters their claim. "Back in 2000, the deputy conservator of forests informed the district collector that tree density in surveys 49 to 53 surpassed the Supreme Court's threshold, making them forest land. Despite this, these areas remain exposed to non-forest activities," Date explained.
Ecological Imperative for Pune's Future
The group also referenced a 2001 letter where the deputy conservator of forests objected to a proposed road through survey 53, and an affidavit submitted to the Bombay High Court affirming that parts of the hill should be treated as forest under Supreme Court orders. "There is a consistent administrative and legal view that these are forest lands, regardless of private ownership," Date added.
Avanti Gadgil of VTBKS emphasized that the issue transcends legal labels and is critical for Pune's ecological security. "Independent studies have recorded rich plant and bird diversity across the entire hill, not just the reserved portion. Vetal hill is among Pune's last major urban forest patches, acting as a crucial climate buffer through groundwater recharge, heat reduction, and flood control," Gadgil said.
Another member stressed that conferring deemed forest status is urgent as Pune's green cover rapidly diminishes. "Once land is recognized as deemed forest, any diversion requires central government approval under the Forest Conservation Act. This protection is desperately needed to stop the hill's gradual degradation from roads, construction, and other projects," the member noted.
Awaiting State Clarity for Decision
The collective has requested a meeting with the expert committee to present its comprehensive documentation and address concerns directly.
Responding to the development, a senior forest department official acknowledged the situation. "A substantial part of Vetal Tekdi is already notified as reserved forest, while the rest is privately owned. The green cover on some private parcels is due to afforestation done in the 1990s. However, the state government is yet to issue clear criteria for identifying 'deemed forests.' We have sought clarification from the government, and a decision on the citizens' demand can only follow that process," the official stated.
