BDPs spread cheer as greener Pune in sight

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Atikh Rashid: Pune, Feb 04 2013, 04:23 IST

The state government’s approval to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s decision to reserve biodiversity parks (BDPs) on hilltops/hill slopes in the newly merged 23 villages will give the city an additional green cover of 978.54 hectares spread on seven hills in 12 villages. The move, point out environmentalists, civic activists and politicians, is in the larger interest of a “Green Pune”.

The civic body had proposed the reservation in its development plan sent to the government. The 978.54 hectares, on which the reservation is spread, comprises 124.45 hectares of government land and 853.09 hectares in private ownership.

The state government had recently passed the development plan of the 23 fringe villages, and had kept the decision on BDPs on hold. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had announced formation of a special committee to look into the matter under the chairmanship of B K Jain, who is dean of Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), to study the contentious issue of BDPs. The committee had recommended to make the reservation of BDPs permanent by giving the land owners transfer of development rights (TDR) in lieu of their land. Those who give land in the first year would be given additional TDR. Around 74 hectares with old constructions would be excluded from the reservation.

Describing it an environment-friendly move, civic activist Vijay Kumbhar said: “On over 900 hectares of land on hilltop/hill slopes, there will be no construction. This is a great piece of news for Puneites who are grappling with increasing concrete

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