Common concerns bring environmental groups under one umbrella

Pune: For years, environmental battles in the city were fought in neighbourhoods with residents from one area protesting against tree felling and others against hill development, riverfront construction, or illegal garbage dumping. On Saturday, these groups merged their efforts to amplify their demands with the civic administration.

The inaugural meeting of Unified Environment Platform was held at UWA Hall in Gokhalenagar, bringing together at least 150 citizens, activists, professionals and environmental groups with the message that their challenges are connected, and so should be the response.

“When we shared the idea of a unified platform on social media, people responded. We have residents from across the city coming together because they recognise that issues affecting rivers, hills, trees and waste management are all interconnected,” Angad Patwardhan, an Aundh resident and a volunteer with Vetal Tekdi Bachao Samiti, said.

The meeting focused on biodiversity park alterations and the proposed Vetal Hill road and tunnel project, tree felling linked to road widening, illegal waste dumping near Katraj and the long-term risks posed by climate change.

Speakers argued that environmental considerations often enter planning processes too late, after key decisions. Participants stressed the need for scientific baseline studies and greater transparency before infrastructural projects are approved.

The platform hopes to create a more organised channel for civic engagement. Utkarsh Ghate from Warje said the initiative aims to transform scattered action into a sustained citywide movement.

“People from Wakad, Warje and many other neighbourhoods have been working in separate groups on environmental issues for years. This platform brings us together. Our priority is to document environmental mismanagement, whether it is illegal garbage dumping or failures in waste collection, so that concerns are backed by evidence,” Ghate added.

The platform plans to create dedicated teams for documentation, communication with civic authorities and citizen representation. Proceedings will be shared with elected representatives and municipal officials, while members will also engage with corporators and administrators on environmental issues. Legal action, members said, would be the last resort.

Former mayor Vandana Chavan, who attended the gathering, said environmental protection requires persistence rather than one-off campaigns.