Water tank land on Vetal tekdi belongs to corporation, says citizens’ group

  • | Saturday | 24th February, 2018

“We will be taking a look at the development plan to confirm if the plot under question is indeed the reserved forest land. There is no breathing space in the city and Vetal tekdi is the only spot where people go to be in tune with nature. The vegetation in the tekdi gets plenty of water during the monsoon as the groundwater is replenished regularly every year. If it is, then PMC’s claim is against the Forest Conservation Act,” the official said.Kedar Gogte, a regular walker at the tekdi, said, “The water tank, which in nearing completion, is an eyesore. Why can't some spots be kept pristine without any human intervention?”Gauri Paripatyadar Mehendale, another regular walker at the tekdi, said, “The walkers do not need the tank’s water.

Pune: The ‘disputed’ land on Vetal tekdi on which a massive water tank is being built belongs to Pune Municipal Corporation The Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS), a citizens’ group , shared this information with TOI on Saturday after furnishing relevant documents to substantiate their claims before the forest department.The ownership dilemma over the piece of land began after the forest department claimed the plot was a ‘reserved forest land’, while PMC staked its claim on it.DGPS has written to the forest department referring to the development plan map from the PMC website. Sushma Date, member of DGPS, said, “If you zoom in on the Panchavati society side of the tekdi, you can clearly see that survey number 38, on which the massive water tank is being built, falls under the reserved forest zone.”A senior forest official confirmed that they have received a letter from DGPS. “We will be taking a look at the development plan to confirm if the plot under question is indeed the reserved forest land. If it is, then PMC’s claim is against the Forest Conservation Act,” the official said.Kedar Gogte, a regular walker at the tekdi, said, “The water tank, which in nearing completion, is an eyesore. Last year also, some politicians were planning to build a road on the tekdi, with signboards. What such people don’t realise is that it’s not a garden, but a natural habitat. There is no breathing space in the city and Vetal tekdi is the only spot where people go to be in tune with nature. Why can't some spots be kept pristine without any human intervention?”Gauri Paripatyadar Mehendale, another regular walker at the tekdi, said, “The walkers do not need the tank’s water. The vegetation in the tekdi gets plenty of water during the monsoon as the groundwater is replenished regularly every year. Any kind of concrete work here will kill its biodiversity forever. The biodiversity of the place should be respected and not be encroached upon as anything lost from here is irreplaceable.”

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