The Pune Running Group is organising a marathon titled ‘Runs for the Hills’ as part of the Save Pune Hills campaign on Sunday on the Vetal tekdi.
In a statement, the organisers said, “The Vetal tekdi and the forest on it supports the city in many ways. The tekdi (hill) is one of the last remaining environmental resources of the city and must be preserved at any cost. It not only has a precious urban forest, but it also contains aquifers that recharge Pune’s groundwater and is an important buffer against the catastrophic effects of climate change.”
According to the group, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has planned three “destructive” projects on the hill–Bal Bharati Road across the Law College slope; two tunnels with exits at Sutardhara (Paud Road), Janwadi (Gokhalenagar) and Panchavati; and the HCMTR/ Neometro elevated road across the Law College slope.
“Can we call ‘development’ what comes at the cost of forests, biodiversity, groundwater and our city’s cultural identity and progress? Citizens of Pune have come together to urge the PMC to scrap these environmentally destructive projects and instead, invest in an efficient, well-connected public transport system,” the statement said.
For this purpose, the Pune Running Group is organising the marathon at 6 am on the Vetal tekdi outside the ARAI gate on Sunday. It will promote the Yellow Ribbon campaign to save Pune’s hills, the group said. It would be a “green run”, so there would be no bibs, pins, paper cups, water bottles, flex banners or loud music. A team of volunteers would pick up any litter remaining behind.
The organisers said there would be a 10km trail run, 5km trail run and a 3km walk or run as well as a plogging run.
