The Unraveling of Baner Hills: How Industrialization Pushed Pune's Oasis to the Brink

Experts say that Baner and its surroundings are lucrative real estate destinations of Pune because of the visible green cover of the hills and the Mula river flowing past with its tributaries.

PuneBaner HillsEnvironmental DegradationUrbanizationWater CrisisReal Estate PuneAug 09, 2024

The Unraveling of Baner Hills: How Industrialization Pushed Pune's Oasis to the Brink

Real Estate Pune:Every morning, Deepak Shrote leaves his concrete neighbourhood and walks up the familiar slopes of Baner tekdi (hill), located to the west of Pune. As the birds strike up a chorus, he breathes in the clean air and stretches his limbs.

Shrote remembers the morning of April 24, 2019, when he had come up the hill as usual – and “felt as if there had been a surgical strike”. “This was the morning after an election in Pune. Morning walkers saw a concrete road of 50 m on the hillside. Clearly, the same night that the election got over, the local leaders had started constructing in order to fit in their definition of development. What was the hurry?” asks Shrote.

The morning walkers mobilised people in thousands in what would become one of the earliest citizen’s movements to save the environment of Pune. The initiative found a spontaneous name — Pashan-Baner Tekdi Bachao Jan Andolan.

“We did not want any type of construction in the name of beautification. On May 1, 2019, we conducted a signature campaign and protested. We called all levels of local representatives — from nagar sevaks to legislators to former Members of Parliament,” says Shrote. More than 7,000 signatures were submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Prime Minister’s Office and the Chief Minister’s Office, among others. The movement ensured that the project was shelved.

Though that road never got built, construction activities did not cease. Baner and its surroundings are, today, among the fastest growing in the city. High-rises erupt like spears, garlanded by a Metro line that is under construction.

Baner and its surroundings are, today, among the fastest growing in the city. High-rises erupt like spears, garlanded by a Metro line that is under construction.

Experts say that Baner and its surroundings are lucrative real estate destinations because of the visible green cover of the hills and the Mula river flowing past with its tributaries. Add to this the famous bucolic weather, or the one found in the countryside, that once made Pune the summer capital of the Bombay Presidency in British India.

What is less obvious, except in the extreme summer, is the growing water crisis. In February 2023, the Bombay High Court heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that several areas, such as Baner, Balewadi and Wakad, were facing an acute water shortage, with not even 20 litre available per person per day. Water tankers are a common sight in many housing societies. “Like Icarus, Baner is flying too close to the sun,” says Pushkar Kulkarni, a resident of Pashan.

Rural Beginnings

Kulkarni remembers the time Baner was “a typical village, all of this was farmland and very nice”. “I would come here on cycle as a child. There was rice, jowar and wheat growing wherever possible. The more productive agricultural lands were on the riverbanks. Most of the streams are now encroached upon,” says Kulkarni.

Shailendra Patel, a geologist who worked with the Defence Research and Development Organisation, remembers there were vast orchards. “The whole of Pune used to eat the guavas grown in Baner. Also, no matter how much it rained after June 7, the traditional date on which the southwesterly monsoon begins in Pune, there was no waterlogging. The water used to be soaked by the soil,” he adds.

Baner and Balewadi villages were merged under the PMC in 1997. In the mid-1980s and 1990s, Hinjewadi became an epicentre of the information technology boom in Maharashtra. “The IT industry, the auto and auto ancillary hubs in Bhosari and Chakan and the connectivity to Mumbai via the Pune-Mumbai Expressway were the deciding factors for Baner, Balewadi and Wakad, among others,” says Kulkarni.

When the National Games were conducted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium in Balewadi in 1994, Baner Road got great attention in terms of surfacing and widening. The Commonwealth Games of 2008 resulted in the road being further developed. “Earlier, there were four-five storied buildings, then came the 12-15 storied buildings and now we can see structures under way to build 20-plus-storeyed buildings,” says Kulkarni.

What concerns him is that “we see a completely cramped Baner”. “All the buildings have had to go one or two floors below the ground for making basement parking. Because of these excavations for parking, we are losing groundwater storage capabilities. The water floods basements and people pump it out and throw it into stormwater drains,” says Kulkarni.

Loss of groundwater, biodiversity

Upendradada Dhonde, a scientist with the Government of India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti, says that, in any urban scenario, the groundwater flow equation relates to the city’s biodiversity. Any change in the topography and aquifers is likely to impact the biodiversity of the region. “If we see Baner-Pashan area, there are natural groundwater channels underneath the hill slope. When this area is cut through, these channels are also cut open or punctured, causing the groundwater and natural springs to ooze out of the surface,” he says.

Dhonde adds, “We saw many such streams oozing out of patches where the Baner hill rocks were cut for construction of a road. The amount of water that oozed out and wasted was massive, akin to draining out the entire hill. The wastage is also likely to affect the entire ecosystem of the region.”

Dhonde says that big construction projects were exacerbating Pune’s water woes. Beyond mere groundwater depletion, these activities can lead to water contamination, land subsidence and the desiccation of hillside plantations.

“Hence, it is imperative for such construction endeavours to adhere strictly to environmental regulations and standards, particularly concerning bedrock excavations. This includes obtaining requisite permits, conducting comprehensive assessments and implementing robust mitigation measures,” says Dhonde.

Heat Island

If the people of Baner rushed to buy air conditioners this summer, the reason wasn’t only global warming. The relentless concretization of Baner had resulted in heat islands. According to the US Environment Protection Agency, heat islands occur when buildings and roads, among others, “absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies”.

Even a few years ago, the temperature in Baner at peak summer used to be around 33 degree Celsius. Now, the heat, that could have been absorbed by the ground, is trapped by the infrastructure leading to oppressive summers.

Kulkarni says poaching of peacocks, snakes and rabbits are rampant on the hills, as is logging. Hill fires are also worrying and, if the wind direction is uphill, the flames crawl up the slope. “Alert people who live in Baner call the fire brigade. It is the citizens who are constantly alert about threats to the hills,” says Kulkarni.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main reason for the environmental degradation in Baner Hills?

The main reason for the environmental degradation in Baner Hills is the rapid urbanization and construction activities in the area.

What is the impact of the construction activities on the groundwater in Baner Hills?

The construction activities have led to the loss of groundwater storage capabilities and the water floods basements and people pump it out and throw it into stormwater drains.

What is the effect of the heat islands on the temperature in Baner Hills?

The heat islands have led to an increase in the temperature in Baner Hills, making the summers more oppressive.

What is the impact of the urbanization on the biodiversity in Baner Hills?

The urbanization has led to the loss of biodiversity in Baner Hills, as the natural habitats of the plants and animals are being destroyed.

What can be done to mitigate the environmental degradation in Baner Hills?

The construction activities should adhere to environmental regulations and standards, and the citizens should be constantly alert about threats to the hills.