NGT Orders Ignored? Pune Forest Department Faces Backlash Over Delayed Hill Safety Measures

The Pune Forest Department is facing criticism over its failure to comply with the directives issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding crucial hill safety work in the NIBM area.

In response to the increasing cases of civic issues raised by the residents of the NIBM area due to encroachment of forest areas and negligence towards hill safety, the NGT, on January 27, directed the Pune Forest Department to complete the hill safety work before the upcoming monsoon season. However, despite the clear orders, the Forest Department has yet to act, sparking concerns among local residents and civic activists.

In a formal complaint addressed to the NGT, social worker Jaymala Dhankikar raised alarm over the incomplete hill safety measures and the growing threat they pose to the lives of people residing in the vicinity. “The department's inaction is not just a case of negligence, but a direct violation of the Tribunal's order,” she said. “The hill safety work remains stalled, and the threat of landslides looms as the monsoon approaches.”

Residents of NIBM Annexe and surrounding areas have long expressed concerns about soil erosion, encroachments, and the deteriorating state of the hillside. Many allege that illegal construction and encroachments on forest land have further aggravated the issue, with little to no intervention from the Forest Department.

Dhankikar has appealed to the NGT to take immediate cognizance of the situation, urging the Tribunal to initiate stringent action against the officials. She has also demanded penalties for the department's non-compliance and called for the swift completion of the pending safety work to prevent potential disasters.

“The inaction is not just bureaucratic apathy—it is a serious environmental and public safety concern,” she added.

With the monsoon just weeks away, civic groups and environmentalists have also rallied behind the call for urgent action.

Forest officer Vishal Yadav said, "We have completed the work on the hill located in front of Dorabji Mall and D-Mart, survey no. 45. We have built a 154-meter-long cabin wall. The work of WAT or CCT for water and soil conservation in order to prevent soil erosion in the forest area, which will help maintain environmental balance, has also been completed on 15 hectares of forest land in one month. There is no land encroachment on forest land, so we have completed most of the works ordered by the NGT."