Pune: Bombay High Court Orders Proper Maintenance of Metro Eco Park in Ravet
Pimpri Chinchwad, 23rd December 2024: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure the proper upkeep of greenery at the Metro Eco Park in Ravet. The court has also requested an affidavit detailing the current condition of the park, supported by photographs, to be submitted before the next hearing on January 22.
The directive came during a hearing on a petition filed by environmental activist Prashant Raul, who alleged that negligence by authorities had resulted in poor maintenance of the park, causing several trees to wither. Raul further stated that the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) had disconnected the park’s power supply due to unpaid bills. However, government representatives informed the court that the power supply had been restored and was being utilized for drip irrigation and water pump operations.
In its order, the court instructed the PWD officer-in-charge to deploy sufficient staff to ensure regular watering and care of the park’s plants. “The officer-in-charge must assign adequate manpower to maintain the greenery. By the next hearing, the gardening department’s officer-in-charge shall file an affidavit outlining the measures taken to preserve the park and its plants,” the court stated.
The court also sought an explanation from the authorities regarding restricted public access to the park. Previously, Raul’s petition had raised concerns over the alleged violation of norms during the transfer of land near the Metro Eco Park to the Election Commission for constructing an EVM storage facility. Raul further alleged that the authorities’ negligence had led to the withering of approximately 140 trees, as documented in a panchnama conducted by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in its role as the tree authority.
