PIL Filed in Bombay High Court Challenges PMC and PCMC Over Tree Authority Functioning

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court alleging that PMC and PCMC failed to constitute statutory Tree Authorities, raising concerns over environmental governance and legal compliance.

Mumbai | June 16, 2026: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Bombay High Court challenging the functioning of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in matters related to tree conservation and environmental governance. The petition alleges that both civic bodies have failed to constitute the statutory Tree Authority mandated under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, despite the existence of elected municipal bodies following local elections.

The PIL has been jointly filed by PMC corporator Datta Bahirat of the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) and civic activist Pushkar Kulkarni through Advocate Satya Muley. The petition contends that the municipal commissioners of PMC and PCMC continue to exercise powers of the Tree Authority, a role that petitioners argue can only be performed by administrators under specific circumstances and not after the formation of elected local bodies.

According to the petition, the Tree Authority is responsible for critical environmental functions, including conducting tree censuses, protecting and preserving urban tree cover, regulating tree felling, prescribing plantation standards, safeguarding heritage trees, and overseeing transplantation activities during infrastructure projects. The petitioners claim that the continued absence of a duly constituted Tree Authority undermines accountability and weakens implementation of environmental safeguards.

The PIL further raises concerns regarding expenditure on tree census activities, declining green cover, and the management of fruit-bearing trees under PMC’s jurisdiction. It seeks immediate constitution of Tree Authorities in both civic bodies and challenges decisions allegedly taken by municipal commissioners while acting in that capacity after local elections were declared in January 2026.

The matter is expected to bring renewed focus on urban environmental governance, tree preservation policies, and statutory compliance by local authorities in the Pune metropolitan region.

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