PCMC 52 Trees Case: Garden Chief Mahesh Gargote Gets Show-Cause Notice as Tree Age Cut From 1,018 to 104 Years
PCMC’s garden head got a show-cause notice over two reports on 52 trees felled in Pimpri. Revised tree age cut compensation from about Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 15.6 lakh.
Photo: Kotivalo / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pimpri-Chinchwad, 1st November 2026: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has issued a show-cause notice to its garden department chief, Mahesh Gargote, over two very different reports on the age of 52 trees felled for a private housing project in Pimpri.
The first report put the trees’ combined age at 1,018 years. A later assessment cut it to 104 years, which would lower the compensation the developer pays by more than Rs 1.3 crore, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleges.
Why the age of a tree decides the fine
When trees are cut for a project, the developer pays the civic body compensation linked to the trees’ age. At Rs 15,000 for each year of combined tree age, the figures reported by Punekar News work out like this:
- first report, 1,018 years: about Rs 1.53 crore
- revised report, 104 years: about Rs 15.6 lakh
A 52-tree stand with a combined age of 104 years would mean the trees averaged only two years old, which is hard to square with August reports that many of them were over a century old.
What AAP alleges
AAP youth wing state president Raviraj Kale has alleged that the revised report was prepared under pressure from corporators to benefit the developer. This is an allegation. PCMC has not responded publicly, and neither the developer’s name nor the deadline for Gargote’s reply has been made public.
The felling in August
The trees stood next to the PCMC headquarters in Pimpri. In August, Punekar News reported that 33 of the 52 trees had been uprooted and died, that 19 were to be replanted, and that the garden department had recovered Rs 10.70 lakh from the developer at Rs 15,000 per tree. AAP’s Rishikesh Kanavte and tree activists protested at the time.
How that August fine relates to the two age reports is not clear yet.
What residents can do
Tree felling in PCMC limits needs permission from the civic Tree Authority, and notices for large fellings are usually published so residents can object. If you see trees being cut without a notice board at the site, you can complain to PCMC’s garden department or through the PCMC website and its Sarathi helpline.
Pimpri-Chinchwad’s air is already under strain this season, with Bhosari among the worst AQI readings in October. Track it on our Pune AQI today page.
We will update this article when PCMC responds. More civic news is in our Pimpri-Chinchwad section.
Frequently asked questions
Why did PCMC issue a notice to its garden chief?
Because two reports on 52 felled trees gave very different combined ages, 1,018 years and 104 years, which changes the compensation payable.
How is tree-felling compensation calculated in PCMC?
According to the reports, at Rs 15,000 per year of the trees’ combined age.
Where were the 52 trees cut?
Next to the PCMC headquarters in Pimpri, for a private housing project.
