Pune needs its hills

There are few cities in the plains of India which have hill tracts running through the heart of the city like in Pune.

Vetal Tekdi, Taljai hills and Kondhwa hills are truly the green lungs of our city. There also used to be a pretty hillock called Fakhri hill in Lullanagar, which has since been enveloped by concrete bungalows. Fortunately, the hill slope-hilltop rule arrested further advancement of concrete.

However, this very same rule is under attack now. The Automotive Research Association of India (Arai), a society of the automobile industry, has found support from Pune’s corporators to vote in favour of changing the hilltop-hill slope zoning on Vetal Tekdi.

This could pave the way for construction of a proposed 3.6 lakh sq feet of laboratories and a concrete test track on 55.74 hectares of forest land.

Eminent citizens — such as astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar and environmentalists including Madhav Gadgil and Mohan Dharia — are understandably upset. When Arai was leased the forest land in 1971, it was allowed to construct only 8,000 sq feet on 5 acres of land.

Instead, 2.4 lakh sq feet of construction was done, which was ratified by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

By its letter of July 24, 2008, the  ministry of environment and forests has specified that the Arai should construct only one vehicle-testing track. Yet, this industry association plans to construct multiple laboratories.

The proposed Arai expansion will clearly change the face of Vetal Tekdi and set a precedent of hilltop construction which will be difficult to contain. Unless this is checked, Pune could become bereft of its hills. Is this what Punekars want?