Dr Sushma Date, who, along with the Indian Law Society, filed a petition against the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata link road on the argument that the project would cause major environmental damage to the ILS Hill, talks to The Indian Express about the struggle involved and the way ahead. Excerpts from the interview:Sushma Date: Pune’s hills are among the last natural resources remaining in our over-developed city. Vetal Tekdi, like all urban forests, acts as a carbon sink, mitigates the urban heat island effect, is a vital catchment zone for a city whose groundwater levels are dwindling at an alarming rate, and is also an important community reserve used by people of all ages and socio-economic classes for physical exercise and psychological well-being. Our generation was lucky enough to grow up among the tekdis (hills) in Pune, which turn lush green for five months of the year, and we need to preserve them as natural heritage for future generations.In 2012, I happened to meet Maj Gen Jatar, who had filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court against the Balbharati road across the Law College slope of the tekdi. He gratefully accepted my offer of help in his case. Over the next few years, I brought in more volunteers from our citizens group, the Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS), and together, we learned from Maj Gen Jatar how to file RTIs in PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation), how to interact with officials, how to study reports, analyse data, make briefs for lawyers and draft petitions.In the process, I realised how reports were tailor-made to suit whatever outcome was needed. For example, in 2013, an EIA was commissioned by PMC for the proposed Balbharati road. The firm that conducted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) concluded that the road would bring down pollution by 98 per cent and raise Rs 467 crore revenue via selling carbon credits. A careful reading of the report showed that there was an arithmetic error in the calculation of four-wheeler emissions, and the actual reduction was only 9.7 per cent and not 98 per cent. Additionally, the firm had used the wrong gas for calculating the carbon footprint.This experience taught me to be very sceptical of government-commissioned reports and to consult independent ecologists, hydrogeologists, urban planners and traffic experts for cross-checking the data and the conclusions in EIA and other reports.Q. Can you elaborate on the biodiversity (flora, fauna) and hydrological (groundwater aquifer, springs, recharge zones) features of the hill/forest area that you believe are most at risk?Date: PMC’s own Ecology study conducted in 2019 recorded 48 tree species, 19 shrub species, 13 climber species and 21 herb species along the alignment of the road. It stated that around 1,700 trees would need to be cut for the road, of which the majority were native species. It recorded a total of 45 bird species, 13 butterfly species, five reptile species and one mammal species. The report said that the alignment along the Law College hill slope was of high to moderate priority for conservation. The section behind Bhandarkar Research Institute, for instance, has a lot of biodiversity, which will be critically impacted because the service roads for the Bal Bharati road and ramps for the proposed HCMTR (High Capacity Mass Transit Route) are planned in this section.Well-known ecologists from Pune, like Dr Ashish Nerlikar and Dr Aparna Watve, have recorded the existence of Jatropha Nana Dalzell on this hill slope, which is listed under global priority for conservation.Story continues below this adAccording to ACWADAM, an organisation that advises the government on groundwater management, the Law College hill slope houses several large unconfined basalt aquifer systems, and any construction activity here will disrupt these systems, severely impacting groundwater levels in Deccan, Karvenagar and Erandawane. In fact, in its 2019 report, ACWADAM had recommended that Vetal Tekdi be given “No Compromise protection”.With Bengaluru undergoing a water crisis and Pune headed the same way, with a record rise in tanker dependency, it is now imperative to protect our remaining groundwater recharge areas. Water will be an election issue this year – and citizens need to know where our candidates stand on the Vetal Tekdi projects, because this will directly impact their liveability in the city.Q. What were the limitations of the environmental studies conducted so far? What additional data would a full four-season EIA reveal, and how crucial is that for assessment of impacts?Date: Government bodies tend to conduct single-season EIAs and generally select the summer when the full biodiversity of that area may not be visible. Ecosystem parameters like air and water quality, flora, and fauna are not static. A single-season study could easily miss the presence of migratory birds, seasonal aquatic life, or vegetation patterns that are critical to the local ecosystem.An all-season environment study provides a more accurate, comprehensive, and scientifically robust picture of a project’s potential environmental effects, allowing informed decision-making and effective planning of mitigation measures.Story continues below this adQ. What challenges did you face during the legal process of filing and arguing the petition?Date: The proposed road has a four-decade history with several legal battles in the past. While court hearings tend to be brief, lengthy and rigorous preparations need to be made before each hearing, which can be very stressful. As someone with no legal experience, challenges included selecting good lawyers, building a rapport with them, and finding Senior Counsel to take on the case. Other challenges were getting supporting documents via RTI from the PMC road department, which was very reluctant to hand them over, studying piles of documents so that we got our facts right, writing briefs, and putting facts down logically so that our Counsel could make the appropriate arguments in court.Q. In your view, what alternative routes or solutions could be considered instead of this road alignment?Date: Several low-risk, non-invasive solutions can and should be tried first.a) Pune has seen three CMPs (Comprehensive Mobility Plans) in the last decade. All emphasise strengthening public transport, and that does not mean Metro alone. They prescribe that PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) has about 50-55 buses per lakh population. Unfortunately, during the same timeframe, PMC let Pune go down from 30 buses per lakh to 24 buses per lakh. If we have 50 buses per lakh, we will easily be able to provide bus routes that connect Aundh and Baner Roads to Paud Road and Kothrud-Karvenagar areas, each with a frequency of five minutes. This will reduce any perceived congestion significantly, while providing mobility to people from all financial strata.b) PMC has also approved a parking policy to discourage car usage and has received central funds for the Metro because of this policy. However, they have not started implementing it.Story continues below this adc) PMC has approved a Bicycle Plan that prescribes a network of cycle tracks and cycle lanes to the tune of 350 km. Here too, PMC has failed to create cycle tracks where one could ride safely, even for 500 metres continuously.d) PMC must provide safe pedestrian walkways and footpaths, encouraging people to switch to walking instead of using vehicles over short distances, surely a healthier option for citizens.e) The Metro network, with its existing, proposed and under construction corridors, will soon encircle the Vetal Tekdi, making the Kothrud to Aundh/Baner/Hinjewadi commute easier. Why build more roads in areas that can be serviced by the Metro? All PMC needs to do is provide good last-mile connectivity.It should be noted that the solutions suggested above will help reduce congestion all across Pune and not just one road – and whether the Balbharati Road will actually help reduce congestion on LCR itself is highly suspect, going by the experience from 14 or so flyovers constructed in the city in the last 15-odd years. And, these solutions can be implemented in just five years. They can make Pune’s transportation more inclusive, sustainable and safe, unlike the Balbharati road, which will largely favour only cars and two-wheelers, inducing more traffic, creating new congestion points and increasing the city’s carbon footprint.Story continues below this adQ. How do you plan to monitor compliance with the Supreme Court’s order moving forward?Date: Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens, and it is they who have protected it for the past 40 years. Public pressure, vigilance and participation alone can ensure good governance by PMC.