It has been decided to temporarily suspend the felling of trees to lay a district heating pipeline in the Teremky district of Kyiv. This was the authorities’ response to mass public protests in defence of the tree-lined belt. However, there does not appear to be an alternative plan.
According to hromadske, this was announced by Petro Panteleev, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, during a press conference at the administration.
Tree felling cannot be avoided
Petro Panteleev insisted that there are no alternative plans for laying the utility lines. He noted that other options had been considered, but there is only one valid set of project documents.
According to the activists, the 2023 project envisaged the construction of a heating pipeline along Teremkivska Street without encroaching on the forest area. However, the deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration refutes this, stating that it is physically impossible due to the sewerage network. Consequently, there is no way to lay two insulated pipes before winter.
“We understand people who are against the removal of plantings, and we certainly would not proceed unless it was necessary, but there is no other corridor for laying the pipeline. The work on this section has now been suspended to ensure proper communication, and we are trying to find a solution that allows us both to complete preparations for winter and to preserve the plantings as much as possible,” said Petro Panteleiev.
The official claims that the previous plan for 2023 was conceived “as an idea” before the full-scale war. At that time, the focus was on economic factors, whereas now security concerns prevail. He also mentioned that 6 million UAH from a tender have already been spent on this project.
Temporary Suspension
The tree felling was halted on Monday, August 10. The very next day, Tuesday, August 11, the Holosiiv District State Administration will hold a project presentation for the community. The authorities state that this one-day pause is necessary “to clarify the situation with activists.”
Before the controversial felling began, there were no meetings with the people. According to the Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration, public hearings are not required for laying utility networks. Instead, meetings were held with residents who did not have heat supply.
Trees Will Not Be Restored
At the same time, Panteleiev stated that it will be impossible to fully restore the tree plantations at the site. The point is that only shrubs can be planted along the heating pipeline. The trees themselves can only be restored in places where they were previously felled to allow heavy machinery to pass through.
“We have proposed to the public to jointly develop a landscaping project, which can be implemented after the work is completed. These could be already mature trees to restore the site as much as possible to its previous state,” the official added.
EcoPolitic previously reported that more than 660 trees are subject to felling, some of which are over 100 years old. Activists state that the work is being carried out within the framework of the “Resilience Plan.”
However, in reality, Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 393 made it possible to bypass all mandatory environmental procedures. Under the framework of an experiment, it removed the requirement to obtain permits or to arrange for land allocation. A written authorization to use the land from the administration is sufficient. Activists believe that this decree poses a threat to green areas throughout the country.
