Pune: Centre Gives In-Principle Approval for 24-Metre DP Road in Mohammadwadi-Kondhwa
Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Mohammadwadi, 17th September 2026: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has granted in-principle approval for the diversion of 0.5 hectares of forest land for the construction and development of a proposed 24-metre-wide Development Plan (DP) road in Mohammadwadi and Kondhwa (Kh.) within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits.
The approval was issued by the Ministry’s Regional Office in Nagpur on September 15, 2026, following a proposal submitted by the Maharashtra Government. The project involves the construction and development of the proposed DP road, including slope reduction.
99 Trees Proposed to Be Felled
According to the Ministry’s approval letter, 99 trees are proposed to be felled for the project. As a condition of the approval, the State Government has been directed to recover the cost of raising and maintaining 999 trees—10 times the number proposed to be felled—from the user agency.
The user agency will also have to pay the applicable Net Present Value (NPV) for the 0.5 hectares of forest land proposed to be diverted. Any additional NPV that becomes payable following future revisions of the applicable rates will also have to be recovered from the user agency.
Approval Comes With Several Conditions
The in-principle approval is subject to several conditions. The total forest area diverted for the project cannot exceed 0.5 hectares, and the land cannot be used for any purpose other than the one specified in the approved proposal.
The State Government has been directed to obtain all required statutory and administrative permissions before executing the project. The proposed forest area must also be demarcated as directed by the concerned Deputy Conservator of Forests.
The Ministry has further stipulated that no new or additional road or pathway can be created inside the forest area for transporting construction material. Labour camps must be established outside forest areas and cannot be set up within the reserved forest area.
Final Forest Clearance Still Pending
The approval issued by the Ministry is in-principle approval and does not constitute final approval for diversion of the forest land.
The State Government must first comply with the stipulated conditions and submit a compliance report through the PARIVESH portal. The proposal will then be considered for final approval after the compliance report is received and examined by the Ministry.
The in-principle approval will remain valid for five years from September 15, 2026. The Ministry has stated that the approval may be revoked if the stipulated conditions are not complied with within the prescribed period.
The approval marks an important regulatory step for the proposed 24-metre DP road connecting the Mohammadwadi-Kondhwa area. However, execution of the project on the diverted forest land remains subject to compliance with the conditions and the Centre’s final approval.
