You can reach the foothills of Bhamburda via the Senapati Bapat Road. Turn west at the Farming Corporation junction and you are on the threshold of the road which leads to the Working Women's Hostel, past Patrakar Nagar. Continue going to reach the base of the Bhamburda.

What hits you as soon as you reach the foothills is the temperature - which is at least four to five degrees cooler than the city's. The clear brisk air fills up not only your lungs but also your senses.

As you trek up the narrow meandering paths to one of Bhamburda's major attractions - Vetal Tekdi - lined with shrubs, trees and grass more than three feet high, you realise how removed city life is from these things of beauty. It is 30 metres above the Bhamburda Hill and is the tallest mound in the Pune Municipal Corporation limits. It is in the vicinity of the Automative Research Association of India (ARAI).

The entire Bhamburda area, including the Vetal Hill, is a mesmerising sight. There's music here - not mechanically produced but generated by the koel's dulcet sounds, the gentle rustling of the leaves. Colours not mixed in a palette but caught by the eye... the sunset gold that lies like a puddle on the path, the bright pink of the Krishna Kamal flower that shocks the soothing green all over.

As you climb up, you reach the rocky areas used by regulars to sit on and enjoy the scenery. The view is breathtaking - totally green, with thick forests; one can barely feel the city's presence.

Another way of getting to this destination is by taking the Paud Road and branching off towards the ARAI. Climb up this road and the panoramic view of Pune's landscape offered by the hill makes it worth the climb.

Once atop the Bhamburda top, you will come across two pathways lined by trees of varying heights. A glimpse towards the southern end provides the view of the Pachgaon Parvati plateau, and that of the Katraj ghat a little beyond. The silhouette of Sinhagad and the Khadakvasla lake towards the southwest offers a breathtaking view. At Northwest lies the match box-like structures of Kothrud. The University of Pune and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation township unveil a little of themselves to Bhamburda as you look northward. Deccan Gymkhana lies towards the southeast.

But time was when Bhamburda was a barren land. Way back in the 1940s, the animal husbandry department had leased this land from the forest department. Sheep and goats from the breeding farm satiated their hunger by feeding on the foliage on the Bhamburda hill surface. For three decades, this continued till the lease expired.

In 1979, the forest department chose not to renew the lease to the animal husbandry department. Instead, it undertook the greening of this barren land with such efficiency that credit for this green cover goes primarily to their efforts. Fencing of the land, a massive tree plantation drive, aided by some citizens, restored Bhamburda to its original glory. Which is why it has become a walker's paradise. Says Shakuntala Kapre, who goes up the hill everyday, ``I feel odd if I do not take my walk up the hill everyday''.

And that is precisely why the clearing of part of this land for construction activity is so ironic. In the world wildlife week, Forest Department officials cleared off the grass and had some trial pits dug to facilitate the de-marking of a residential area.

Says I.A.J. Sattar, assistant forest conservator, ``What we are doing is for the protection of the forest itself. We need to have place for an office and for residential purposes. In Maharashtra, there are many such buildings built on protected land, so what's the big deal if we want to use about 0.25 hectares for four buildings? In fact, according to the Forest Conservation Act, we are allowed to make use of the land''.

But some residents and members of the Vetal Tekdi Bachao Samiti (VTBS) disagree. Says N.D. Bhave, a member of VTBS and a regular walker at the hill, ``How is constructing a residential complex going to help conserve the forest land? This place has so many peacocks, rabbits, snakes and other beautiful species of flora and fauna. With the land being cleared, they will be forced to move to other areas''.

D.T. Bhundelkar, another member, claims that the forest department began this process last year itself. Says he, ``When they made a road last year, we got suspicious. They said it was for us walkers, but now we know better. They were preparing ground for this construction work. If they do want place for their homes or offices, why can't they go elsewhere? Why this protected area only''?

Irked by this callousness, Mohan Dharia, chairman, Vanrai, has written to the minister for environment and forests and the inspector general of forests. Says he, ``I am very clear about one thing - our green areas need to stay green. I am not just talking about areas that are protected, even hills that are barren need to be afforested. How one can destroy part of the Vetal Tekdi for construction purposes? There's an urgent need to protect these lungs of the city''.

He continues, distressed, ``I believe that they have received sanction from the World Bank (WB) for this project, but it is not as simple as it seems. The WB may have assured some funds for accommodation but definitely not at the cost of the green cover. If it is indeed so, then the WB needs to be made aware of its responsibilities''.

Dharia has urged the minister and the inspector general to initiate action against those who have damaged parts of Vetal Tekdi. Says he, ``It is truly sad when those whose duty is to protect, become violators''.