Pune: Forest Department Orders Restraint on Tree Felling for Riverfront Development Project
Pune, 12th November 2025: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Land Records), Maharashtra, N. Jaikumaran, has directed officials to maintain restraint on any tree felling linked to Pune’s Riverfront Development Project along the Mula, Mutha, and Mula-Mutha rivers until further evaluation of the area’s forest status is completed.
The directive was issued through an official letter to the Conservator of Forests (Regional), Pune, pending the expert committee’s assessment of “deemed forest land” in riparian zones. The committee was constituted by the State of Maharashtra following the Supreme Court’s order dated March 4, 2025, in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1164/2023 — Ashok Kumar Sharma, Indian Forest Service (Retd) & Others vs. Union of India & Another.
The letter came in response to a representation made by Advocate Ronita Bhattacharya Bector and environmentalist Kedar Bhagwat, Director of the Ecological Society, Pune. A copy of their submission was attached to the PCCF’s communication, which instructed the Regional Forest Officer to take appropriate action, update the applicants, and submit a compliance report to the PCCF’s office.
“This is an important development, and we hope the rich riparian zones in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad are protected. These ecosystems are crucial for our health and our future,” said Bhagwat, welcoming the decision.
