Home / Environment / Citizen Activists Petition to Save Pune's Dwindling Groundwater Recharge Zones
Citizen Activists Petition to Save Pune's Dwindling Groundwater Recharge Zones
20 Oct
Summary
- Ecologist Dr. Sushma Date challenges government-commissioned environmental reports
- Proposed road project threatens biodiversity and groundwater recharge on Vetal Tekdi
- Citizen group advocates for public transport, cycling, and pedestrian solutions over new roads
In October 2025, ecologist Dr. Sushma Date and the Indian Law Society have filed a petition against the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata link road in Pune, arguing the project would cause major environmental damage to the ILS Hill. Dr. Date, who is sceptical of government-commissioned reports, prefers to consult independent experts to verify the data and conclusions in Environmental Impact Assessments.
Dr. Date's team has found that the proposed road alignment would impact over 1,700 native trees and several endangered species on the Vetal Tekdi hill, which serves as a vital carbon sink and groundwater recharge zone for the city. They claim government studies have underestimated the project's environmental effects.
Instead, the citizen group advocates for strengthening Pune's public transport, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian networks as more sustainable solutions to address traffic congestion, rather than building new roads that could induce more private vehicle usage. They believe these alternatives can be implemented faster and have a broader positive impact on the city's mobility and liveability.
