Overview

• A bench of Chief Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran directed that construction cannot start unless the EIA authority grants environmental clearance and set a three‑month decision timeline.
• The petitions by environmentalist Dr. Sushma Date and the Indian Law Society argued the alignment cuts through an ecologically sensitive hill with over 400 species, about 1,700 trees, and an aquifer, citing a CEC view that work should not proceed now.
• Consultants previously engaged for an environmental risk assessment recommended a four‑season study rather than a single‑season review to capture biodiversity and hydrological impacts.
• The Pune Municipal Corporation, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, maintained the elevated design places pillars at the hill’s base and said it will seek the required clearance despite its stance that the route is a Development Plan road.
• The 2.1–2.3 km link between Balbharati and Paud Phata remains on hold pending EC, with supporters asserting it would cut Kothrud–Shivajinagar travel times by 20–25 minutes and ease congestion on major corridors.