Over 9000 residents fight to preserve Pune green hills from construction

Over 9,000 residents across Pune have united to demand an immediate halt to all proposed construction activities on the city’s iconic hills, citing irreversible environmental degradation and long-term urban sustainability risks.

Spearheaded by citizen-led campaigns and green activists, the growing movement seeks to preserve the city’s natural heritage, especially in hilltop and hill slope zones currently under threat from real estate development proposals. The residents’ concerns have coalesced into a formal petition submitted to a recently formed state-appointed study group. The six-member committee, constituted on 8 April by the state government, has been tasked with reviewing the delineation of Biodiversity Park (BDP) reservations and hilltop-hill slope boundaries, and to formulate development control regulations (DCR) for Pune. The committee has been given a deadline of 8 May to submit its recommendations.

Public response has been swift and vocal. Signature drives at popular green spots such as Vetal Tekdi and Aapla Maruti saw enthusiastic participation, with campaigners urging local residents to resist any dilution of BDP protection. The petition calls for no change in existing zoning, a complete ban on construction in ecologically sensitive hill zones, and legal safeguards to preserve these areas as irreplaceable urban ecosystems. Experts involved in the campaign argue that even limited construction allowances—like the previously mooted 4% to 8% permissible built-up area—could trigger massive environmental fallout. “Excavations on these hills will accelerate urban heat, deplete groundwater recharge zones, and increase the city’s carbon footprint,” said an environmentalist supporting the petition. “These hills are not only the lungs of Pune but also critical overhead water reservoirs, hosting unique biodiversity and functioning as climate buffers.”

Concern has grown over the state’s move to revisit its 2015 decision, which declared 978 hectares of Pune’s hills as Biodiversity Parks where construction was strictly prohibited. The fear is that the new committee could recommend a policy shift, potentially reopening these green zones to urban development under revised parameters of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). Officials have confirmed that public suggestions and objections were considered under the MRTP Act during the approval of the earlier development plan. But citizen groups are alarmed at what they describe as “institutional indifference” to those inputs. They point to the PMC’s failure to implement satellite-based monitoring of illegal hill constructions, and the lack of accountability measures against violators.

Urban planners and sustainability experts backing the campaign assert that the preservation of hills is a critical issue, not just for biodiversity conservation, but for long-term urban resilience. These ecosystems are essential for air purification, temperature regulation, and flood mitigation—services that no artificial infrastructure can replicate. The citizens’ campaign further proposes compensation mechanisms for private landowners whose plots fall under BDP reservations. According to campaigners, this would be a more equitable alternative than rezoning environmentally sensitive areas to allow construction. They have also called for permanent public representation in all future urban planning decisions related to Pune’s hills, stressing that the voice of civil society must not be ignored in favour of development lobbies.

In addition to online engagement, residents are conducting on-ground awareness campaigns to sensitise more people about the ecological significance of the city’s hillscapes. Flyers, social media outreach, and public meetings are being organised in residential communities across Pune. Authorities have so far maintained that the committee’s work is only exploratory in nature and that any decisions will be made based on a transparent consultation process. However, civil society groups remain wary, citing past experiences where planning guidelines were quietly amended in favour of high-value real estate development, despite public opposition.

Urban development professionals note that the increasing pressure on land due to rapid commercialisation and housing demand has pushed developers to lobby for hilltop construction. But they caution that short-term economic interests should not override environmental prudence. “Every city must respect its natural topography. Once the ecological integrity of these hills is compromised, it cannot be restored. Pune will pay a steep price in the years to come,” said a senior planner affiliated with a green urban development think tank. The petition and accompanying letter of demands are scheduled to be formally submitted to the state-appointed committee on 28 April. Signatories hope this collective action will send a clear message to policymakers: that Pune’s residents are deeply invested in protecting the city’s last remaining green lungs—not just for their aesthetic value, but for the very survival and sustainability of the urban ecosystem.

With the committee’s deadline just weeks away, the pressure is mounting. Pune’s citizens are watching closely, determined that this moment of civic resolve translates into lasting policy protection for their beloved hills.

Over 9000 residents fight to preserve Pune green hills from construction