Pune’s proposed expansion of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Highway has reopened a familiar urban dilemma: how to upgrade transport infrastructure without eroding the city’s ecological assets. Civic authorities are now examining an alternative alignment plan after concerns emerged that nearly 75 mature banyan trees could be affected by the road widening project between Hadapsar and Saswad. The project, being planned along a rapidly urbanising stretch near Fursungi and Uruli Devachi, aims to widen the existing carriageway from 30 metres to 45 metres to accommodate increasing traffic volumes linked to suburban growth, freight movement and annual pilgrimage-related congestion. However, the proposed expansion has triggered public concern because several of the trees lining the corridor are estimated to be more than a century old and form one of the few remaining green buffers along the route.
The debate has gained significance at a time when Pune is already witnessing heightened scrutiny over tree felling linked to major mobility projects. Urban planners and environmental experts say the city’s infrastructure expansion model is increasingly being questioned for failing to integrate climate-sensitive planning into road design and execution. A proposal submitted before the Pune Municipal Corporation’s city improvement panel suggests modifying the alignment near the gliding centre land parcel so that the road expansion shifts away from the current edge. The revised approach is expected to reduce the impact on the banyan trees while also limiting displacement risks for residential structures built according to earlier development plans. Officials familiar with the matter indicated that the alternative alignment may also reduce compensation liabilities associated with demolition of private properties. In dense urban corridors, land acquisition and rehabilitation costs often become one of the largest financial burdens for civic agencies undertaking transport projects.
The Pune road widening project reflects the broader challenge facing Indian cities attempting to expand mobility infrastructure while responding to climate resilience goals. Large canopy trees such as banyans play a critical role in reducing urban heat stress, absorbing pollutants and improving stormwater retention during heavy rainfall. Environmental researchers have repeatedly warned that the loss of mature trees weakens natural cooling systems and intensifies heat island effects across fast-growing metropolitan regions. Transport analysts, however, note that the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi route remains a critical movement corridor, particularly during religious processions and peak intercity traffic periods. They argue that widening works are necessary to improve commuter safety, reduce bottlenecks and support long-term regional connectivity between Pune’s expanding suburban settlements.
Civic officials are expected to review the revised alignment proposal in the coming weeks before moving ahead with detailed planning approvals. The final decision could become a significant test case for whether Pune’s future infrastructure strategy can align mobility expansion with ecological preservation rather than treating the two as competing priorities.
