Pune: Empress Garden Body Opposes Land Transfer for Court Project
Pune, 27th March 2026: The Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India, which manages the historic Empress Botanical Garden, has opposed the government’s proposal to transfer around one acre of its land for a court building, warning of ecological and heritage loss.
The garden, maintained by the society since 1892, is considered one of the city’s key green spaces. The society said it has preserved rare trees and biodiversity at the site for over 134 years without any financial support from the government.
In a statement, society president Pratap Pawar alleged that despite submitting multiple representations and staging protests, authorities are proceeding with the proposal without addressing their concerns. He termed the move an infringement on the rights of an autonomous body engaged in environmental conservation.
Society officials said the identified land is being developed as a biodiversity park, where hundreds of saplings have already been planted. Diverting the land for construction would destroy the ecosystem and further worsen Pune’s fragile environment, they added. The centrally located garden serves as a crucial green buffer for the city.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Pawar said the garden has been sustained through public participation and the society’s own resources over the years, and urged the government to reconsider the decision. He also appealed to citizens and environmentalists to come forward to protect the city’s “green lungs” from being lost to development.
