Pune: The Bombay High Court has now directed the state public works department (PWD) to ensure greenery is properly maintained at the Metro Eco Park in Ravet. The court also sought an affidavit, along with photographs, by the next hearing on Jan 22, showing current status of the park. The court on Friday was hearing a petition by environment activist Prashant Raul that claimed the park was not being properly maintained by the authorities, due to which several trees had wilted.
Raul also stated that the power supply of the park had been cut by MSEDCL due to non-payment of bills. However, govt authorities submitted in the court that the power supply was restored and was now being used for drip irrigation and a water pump. The high court directed the officer-in-charge of PWD to depute adequate manpower to ensure that enough greenery was being maintained and that plants were being watered and maintained regularly.
"For the said purpose, the officer shall depute an adequate number of manpower. By the next listing, the officer-in-charge of the gardening department of the local PWD shall file an affidavit as to the steps which may be taken by him for maintaining the park and the plants," the court said. The high court also directed the authorities to explain why public access to the park was restricted.
Earlier, Raul in his original petition had claimed that norms had been violated while transferring the land adjacent to the Metro Eco Park to the election commission for the construc.