Green Pune

CC. to Hon. Collector, Pune district, Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, CEO, Pune Zilla Parishad, Commander, Sub area,Pune, DFO, Pune, Dep. Director, Social forestry, Pune

Sub: Green Pune

Here is an appeal to help grow trees in Pune city and Pune district, too.

Theme: Plantation and protection of One hundred thousand trees in PMC limits and one million trees in Pune district.
Species selected: Preferably, native economic trees used for fuel /fire wood and Rare, endangered, threatened, Indian species harvested destructively for medicinal use.
Duration: Three years
Areas suggested: Unused, private and public, forest and non forest lands, not reserved for development, agriculture or as open space.
Background:
Pune district is considered the district of water reservoirs. There are about 20 rivers and 19 ponds in this district. Pune district administration does annual plantation activity, under social forestry, forestry and horticulture. Still, instead of gaining green tree cover, Pune district has recorded net loss of 1\% forest cover, during this decade. The hottest summer, 2009 is the gift of uncontrolled deforestation. The reason can be deforestation for fuel wood. This is estimated to be 5- 8000 Metric tonnes/ day in our district, which can account to 2.5 million metric tons/ year. One hundred thousand hectares area needs to be dedicated for fuel wood production. Simultaneously, One hundred thousand hectares of medicinal tree plantations will provide required medicines, after maturity.
India and Maharashtra have forest covers 20.6\% and 15.43\% respectively. As per national forest policy, 1988, 33\% geographical area needs to be brought under forest and tree cover. Pune being Tribal and hill district, the green tree cover is expected to be more than 33\%.
Presently, Pune district has just 8.7\% forest cover. Half of Punes forest cover is moderately dense (40-70\% canopy) and half open (More information can be shared with nature lovers and those who believe in personal and corporate social green responsibility. The information is compiled from discussions with forest officers and publications. Still, there may be errors in details, which if notified will be corrected, with immediate effect.

Dr. Mandar Akkalkotkar, coordinator,
Action for Conservation and Trade of RET Medicinal Trees, Pune
[email protected] ; [email protected] ; www.growaforest.org ;