PUNE: The civic body has crossed the halfway mark of its green census programme by surveying over 20 lakh trees and is likely to complete the GIS-based counting process by August 2018.
The
Geographic Information System (GIS)-based
tree census started last year and was expected to get over by March 2018. However, officials said the project might continue till August next year as they were taking it forward with maximum caution.
The census is on simultaneously across all zones and a detailed plan has been chalked out to ensure that the project gets over around the same time in each zone.
An official said an agency has been appointed for the census, while experts and botanists have been roped in for the field work. The pilot project was conducted in April 2016 and the actual census began from June 2016. The authorities had then aimed at completing the census in two years.
The last census was conducted in 2013 and 38.5 lakh tress were listed in the city then. This time, the authorities are expecting an addition of about 2 lakh trees.
An official said the administration was looking at a more accurate and detailed
tree census with the use of GIS technology. The information of the ongoing survey was also being uploaded on the website, the official said.
On March 21, 2013, the Bombay high court had directed the
PMC to carry out a pilot tree census project using GIS and submit a report on it. The court had issued the directive in response to a public interest litigation regarding the destruction of the city’s green cover. The census, however, was delayed because of issues in the tendering process.
Once the census is completed, the data will help the PMC keep a tab on illegal tree cutting and verify replanting of trees by builders or developers.