Angels Of Pune: Anandvan Foundation Helps City Breathe Better By Turning Barren Land Into Living Forests
Pune city is expanding at a rapid pace, and the fast urbanisation is wiping out the green cover. However, a group of committed citizens has been quietly working to restore it. For more than a decade, the environmental initiative by Anandvan Foundation has been transforming barren and degraded land parcels in the southern part of the city into thriving urban forests.
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Anandvan Foundation was launched in 2013 by environmentalist Praveen Kumar Anand, fondly known as "Kumar Uncle". The initiative began with a simple but powerful idea — to reclaim neglected land and restore it to a natural ecosystem. The revival of green cover started from NIBM Road in Kondhwa, where a forest patch had turned into an illegal dumping ground filled with construction debris, plastic waste and garbage. Shocked by the condition of the land, Anand began cleaning the site himself, carrying water from home to nurture young saplings and appealing to residents to join him in protecting the green cover.
Gradually, what started as the effort of one individual turned into a citizens’ movement. Volunteers from different fields began participating in the mission of reviving urban forests. Today, the foundation has expanded its work across multiple sites in South Pune, creating several urban forest areas spread across hundreds of acres.
One of the key principles of Anandvan’s work is restoring the region’s original biodiversity. Before starting plantations, the team conducted extensive field research across areas within a 50-100 km radius of Pune to identify native species that historically thrived in the region. Based on these studies, indigenous tree varieties were selected and planted to recreate a natural forest. Instead of focusing only on tree plantation drives, the team replicates the structure of a natural forest, including shrubs, creepers, mid-sized trees and large canopy trees, creating a balanced ecological system.
Volunteers have also worked to remove invasive species such as Gliricidia, which suppresses native biodiversity and prevents local plants from flourishing.
Reviving forests by planting trees was not easy, as water management remained another critical element of the project. To tackle this challenge, the foundation implemented rainwater harvesting systems and created small water bodies, trenches and percolation pits within the forest areas to support plant growth and recharge groundwater.
Over the years, these restored landscapes have begun to flourish with life. Today, the urban forests host thousands of trees and support a growing variety of wildlife. Bird watchers have recorded more than 90 species of birds across these forest areas, indicating the revival of biodiversity.
Pune: BJP MLA Hemant Rasne Demands Reconstruction Of Seven-Storey Shaniwar Wada In Maharashtra AssemblyThese forests also serve as natural green lungs for the city, helping regulate temperature, improve air quality, recharge groundwater and enhance the overall ecological balance of Pune. The initiative is driven by a dedicated team that includes founder and president Praveen Kumar Anand, vice president Vishal Pawar, secretary Bhupesh Sharma, treasurer Ramesh Naryani, and other core members who oversee the development and maintenance of the forest sites.
But the strength of the movement lies in its volunteers. Residents, school students, corporate employees and senior citizens regularly participate in plantation drives, clean-up activities and forest care programmes.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Praveen Kumar Anand, Founder President, said, “Transforming barren lands into thriving urban forests was not a one-day effort. We planted one tree at a time to breathe life into our city and our future.”
Bhupesh Sharma, co-founder and secretary of the foundation, highlighted the long-term commitment required to build forests. “Forests are not made in a day; they require consistent on-ground nurturing,” he said.
Dr Nisha Bhosle, who leads the Anandvan nursery and has been volunteering for nearly nine years, said working with rare tree saplings to develop a seed bank has been deeply fulfilling. “It is very satisfying to volunteer at the nursery even at the age of 75,” she said.
The foundation now has a larger vision to help make Pune a “City of Urban Forests.” By restoring degraded land and involving citizens in environmental stewardship, the initiative aims to expand green cover across the city and strengthen climate resilience.
Pune Likely To Witness Thunderstorm Activity On March 18–19Vishal Pawar, volunteer and vice president of the foundation, summed up the spirit of the movement: “Your real tomorrow’s land is created today in the form of living urban forests. Come and reconnect with nature.”
Chief Conservator of Forest Ashish Thakre, Pune division, said, “This initiative is expected to plant over 2,00,000 trees and regenerate nearly 200 hectares of forest area in Pune, making it a significant step toward sustainable urban environmental management.”