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From Dumping Ground to Green Lung: Punawale's New Oxygen Park
23 Jan
Summary
- An oxygen park is being developed on 10 hectares of reserve forest land in Punawale.
- The project, costing ₹8 crore, aims to combat pollution from rapid urbanization.
- Work on the park, which includes a nature trail and play area, began in January and aims for completion by March 2026.
The Pune forest department has commenced development of an oxygen park on 10 hectares of reserve forest land in Punawale. This initiative addresses years of citizen complaints regarding environmental degradation due to rapid urbanization in the Pimpri-Chinchwad outskirts.
The project, approved with an estimated budget of ₹8 crore, will transform a site previously marred by illegal dumping into a green lung for Punawale and its surrounding areas. The park is designed to include a nature trail, information signboards, a children's play area, and a fountain, alongside extensive planting of native and oxygen-generating tree species.
Initially proposed for a waste processing plant, the land's fate shifted after widespread protests, with the state government designating it for forest department control in 2023. Following MLA Shankar Jagtap's advocacy, the forest department submitted a proposal in January 2025. Permissions were granted in November 2025, and ground work began in January 2026, with completion targeted by March 2026.
