About 200 citizens — from schoolchildren to senior citizens — gathered on Ganeshkhind Road in Pune on Friday to form a human chain against the planned removal of 529 heritage trees for road widening. They were united by a fight not just for trees, but for the city’s future. The chain began at the trees near the Simla office — the spot where the first set of trees had been cut — and stretched all the way to the College of Agriculture. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to increase the width of Ganeshkhind Road from 36 metres to 45 metres, putting the fate of the heritage trees at stake. “Quality of life is proportional to the quality of our air, water, and resources, not fancy appliances or money. We want eight trees for every person gathered here today. We’ve been protesting for 10 years and will continue to do so,” said Satya Natrajan, one of the organisers. The trees in question are flagged to be cleared for road widening — a project that demonstrators argue will do little to ease congestion.…