Pune illegal hill cutting has prompted former Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan and residents from several parts of the city to demand immediate intervention by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), citing alleged violations of planning law, government notifications and environmental safeguards.
Chavan and a delegation of affected citizens submitted a memorandum to Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure on Monday, seeking inspections, punitive action against violators and a status report on permissions and earlier complaints linked to hill cutting and unauthorised development.
The memorandum identified locations near DP Road and Baner Hill, Bibwewadi, ARAI-Sutardara, and several areas around Katraj, including Kolwadi, Jambhulwadi near Navale bridge, Gujarwadi, Nimbalkarwadi, Mangdewadi and Bhilarwadi. It also referred to areas around Kondhwa, including Khadi Machine, Yeolewadi and Tilekarnagar, as well as parts of Sinhagad Road in Hingne Khurd.
According to the memorandum, residents living near the hills have repeatedly raised concerns over excavation and development activity. A resident cited in the submission said that civic action sometimes stopped work temporarily, but that activity resumed after a few days, particularly during holidays, and at a faster pace.
Chavan said the PMC should use provisions available under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, along with a PMC order on encroachment monitoring and a May 2016 government notification requiring high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor hill slopes and related development.
The memorandum also referred to Section 56A of the MRTP Act. It stated that designated officers who fail to act against unauthorised development can face personal criminal liability, including imprisonment of up to three months, a fine of up to Rs 20,000, or both.
Chavan called for on-site inspections, action against those responsible and a clear record of existing permissions and previous complaints. She also sought accountability from designated officers and continuous monitoring so that work does not resume after temporary stoppages.
The issue has also resulted in action in Kothrud. A civic official said the PMC had issued notices to private developers after excavation on a hill was observed using JCB and Poclain machinery. The notice warned that the work should be stopped and that legal action would follow if it continued.
The memorandum places responsibility on the civic administration to establish whether work at the identified locations has valid permissions, whether development complies with applicable planning and environmental provisions, and whether earlier complaints were acted upon. The PMC’s next steps, including inspections, enforcement action and the preparation of a location-wise status report, will determine the response to the residents’ demands.
