Pune News
Supreme Court Halts Demolition of 29 Bungalows in PCMC

Pune: The Supreme Court (SC) has temporarily stayed the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order to demolish 29 bungalows alleged to be in violation of environmental norms. A representative from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) confirmed that the apex court has instructed both the residents and the municipal corporation to submit their responses by February 10, 2025, with further actions to be determined in accordance with the court’s directives.In July 2023, the NGT’s Western Zonal Bench had issued a significant ruling mandating the PCMC to demolish the 29 bungalows built in the blueline area of the Indrayani River within a six-month timeframe.
The tribunal also imposed a collective penalty of ₹5 crore on the bungalow owners as compensation for environmental damage. The case, initially filed with the NGT in 2020, resulted in the demolition order based on responses from all relevant authorities. Subsequently, the bungalow owners appealed to the Supreme Court.During the recent hearing, the Supreme Court granted the stay on the demolition order after listening to the applicants’ arguments. The court directed the appellants to submit a new synopsis and prohibited any demolition actions based on the NGT’s earlier ruling.“We had scheduled demolition activities for December 21 and 22.
However, during the hearing on December 20, the court issued a stay on the NGT’s demolition order until February 10 and requested our response,” stated Makrand Nikam, city engineer of PCMC.This development has put a temporary halt to the demolition process, allowing the residents a chance to contest the NGT’s decision while the legal proceedings continue.