Pune’s urban greenery remains under pressure despite sustained civic spending on parks, highlighting a widening gap between the city’s development footprint and its ecological infrastructure. Official civic data puts green cover within the former municipal boundary at 27.90 sq km, or roughly 11% of the 249 sq km area. The figure raises a larger question: whether maintaining parks is enough as construction continues to consume open land.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) spent ₹108.26 crore on park maintenance and repairs between 2021-22 and 2025-26. Expenditure rose from ₹14.38 crore in 2021-22 to ₹24.79 crore last year, with the highest annual outlay of ₹32.22 crore recorded in 2022-23. Yet maintenance spending does not automatically translate into additional green cover. The civic garden department currently manages 215 parks covering about 2.45 sq km. Much of Pune’s wider green area comes from hills, tree-covered land, roadside vegetation and other open spaces beyond formal public gardens. That distinction is increasingly important as Pune expands both vertically and outward. Residential projects, commercial development and transport infrastructure have increased the pressure on remaining undeveloped land. For residents, the loss of vegetation is not simply an environmental concern. Trees and permeable open spaces can moderate urban heat, absorb rainfall and support healthier neighbourhoods, particularly as extreme heat and intense monsoon events become more consequential for Indian cities.
The PMC is now considering a drone-based tree census that could provide a more precise picture of the city’s canopy. Unlike estimates based mainly on tree numbers, aerial mapping can identify the extent and density of foliage across different parts of the urban area. The proposed exercise is also expected to include 23 recently merged fringe villages, potentially giving planners a broader baseline for future land-use decisions. Urban planners and environmental specialists say the value of the exercise will depend on what follows the measurement. A reliable Pune green cover baseline could identify neighbourhoods with severe canopy deficits, but it will have limited impact if land reserved for gardens and open spaces continues to be converted or remains undeveloped.
The challenge also extends beyond the garden department. Roads, town planning, development permissions and land acquisition all influence how much ecological space survives within the expanding city. Protecting hills, river edges, roadside green belts and reserved open land therefore needs to become part of routine urban infrastructure planning rather than being treated separately. For Pune green cover to improve, future budgets may need to balance maintenance with new parks, ecological restoration and tree-canopy expansion. The forthcoming census could provide the evidence needed to decide where that investment will deliver the greatest public and climate resilience benefits.
