Pune: Rs 10 Lakh Per Ward Office for Tree Plantation as PMC Pushes 50-Lakh Sapling Target

Pune, 12th June 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to launch a special plantation drive during the upcoming monsoon as part of its ambitious target of planting 50 lakh trees across the city. To facilitate the campaign, the civic body will allocate Rs 10 lakh each to its 15 regional offices, with a total budgetary provision of Rs 1.5 crore.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the PMC Standing Committee on Thursday. Standing Committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale announced the initiative while addressing reporters after the meeting.

Bhimale said the plantation drive forms part of the civic body’s budget announcement to increase the city’s green cover through the plantation of 50 lakh trees. The campaign will prioritise indigenous tree species and focus on large-scale plantation on hills, open spaces and public land across Pune.

At the same time, Bhimale stressed that development projects should not come at the cost of the city’s old and heritage trees. He said the civic administration must not permit the felling of historic trees in the name of infrastructure development.

“Trees that are 100, 150 or even 200 years old are part of the city’s natural heritage and it is the responsibility of the municipal corporation to protect them. Development works can wait, but such trees should not be cut down,” he said.

The civic body expects the monsoon plantation campaign to significantly contribute towards its long-term afforestation goals while strengthening Pune’s environmental sustainability efforts.