Branches of Bureaucracy: How Civic Apathy is Killing Pune’s Citizens
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 28th May 2025: A woman passenger lost her life in Pune today after a tree collapsed on a moving autorickshaw near Peshwa Udyan—another brutal reminder of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) chronic failure to act against dangerous trees across the city.
This marks the second fatal tree fall in just three days since the onset of the monsoon. On Monday, Rahul Shrikant Shinde, a two-wheeler rider, was crushed to death near Alankar Police Station.
Today, 76-year-old Shubhada Yashwant Sapre died when a tree fell near Nilayam Talkies. The rickshaw driver remains hospitalized with injuries.
Despite repeated incidents and mounting public outrage, PMC’s Parks Department and regional offices appear unmoved. The pattern is as deadly as it is familiar—trees in visibly hazardous conditions go uninspected and unaddressed until lives are lost.
No System, No Accountability
Pune has over 33 lakh trees, many of which show clear signs of structural instability—exposed roots, tilting trunks, top-heavy canopies, and deteriorating soil at the base. Yet the municipal machinery responsible for their maintenance is virtually non-functional.
The Garden Department is legally tasked with pruning trees on public land, but even basic branch trimming requires citizens to file applications, undergo inspections, and often—allegedly—pay bribes to pre-decided contractors. In several cases, citizens report being forced to hire specific contractors to remove trees on their own dime, even when they’ve flagged the risk with the authorities.
Meetings Without Meaning
Additional Commissioner Om Prakash Divate, soon after taking office, convened a meeting of officials from the Garden Department and ward offices. He reportedly ordered swift and proper action on identifying and managing dangerous trees. However, on the ground, little has changed. Today’s fatality is proof that such meetings are becoming empty rituals, not catalysts for action.
Divate, while commenting on the latest incident, acknowledged the urgency: “More in-depth work is needed. We will fix a procedure to ensure transparency and will seek expert consultation.”
However, citizens and activists are asking—how many more lives must be lost before the ‘procedure’ is implemented?
The Environment Department’s Deafening Silence
Pune’s civic body also houses an Environment Department—expected to advise and oversee ecological concerns. Yet, Environment Officer Mangesh Dighe admitted that his department does not issue any guidance to the Garden Department or ward offices regarding dangerous trees. This shocking admission reveals a gaping disconnect within the administration, even as falling trees continue to kill Punekars.
When asked about inter-department coordination, Dighe simply said, “Such instructions are not given in this way.”
Citizens Pay the Price
As civic officials pass the buck and departments operate in silos, it is ordinary citizens who pay with their lives. The system designed to protect public safety is instead mired in red tape, negligence, and in some cases, outright corruption. Dangerous trees remain untrimmed. Complaints go unanswered. Victims are left as footnotes in a growing list of preventable tragedies.
The latest casualty should not be just another statistic. It must serve as a wake-up call for the PMC to act—now, decisively, and transparently.
Until then, Punekars will continue to live under the deadly shadow of municipal apathy.
