Hyderabad: Environmental activists on Tuesday raised alarm online alleging that the Banyan trees along NH-163 near the town of Chevella are being chopped down despite a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) currently pending at the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Twitter account of @chevellabanyans, which is being run by concerned activists posted a video of a labourer claiming that he was instructed to cut down the Chevella Banyans. The account also tagged Telangana Forest department, state Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) RM Dobriyal and chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and IT minister KT Rama Rao seeking a response on whether any such permission for felling the trees was provided.
This person says that he has been instructed to cut the #ChevellaBanyans. Tree cutting to happen tomorrow. @dobriyalrm has @TelanganaForest given permission for felling? When there is a PIL against felling at the NGT how can this happen @TelanganaCMO @KTRTRS please intervene,” the tweet asked.
The person in the video claimed that the Medipally Police instructed him to cut down the trees along the road from Wednesday.
The activists later in the day said that the Chevella Police Station is not aware of any orders to fell the trees and asked Telangana Police and the Forest departnment to take action against the culprits.
“Chevella PS says they are not aware of any orders to fell the trees. Then who has engaged this person to cut down the entire line of trees? @TelanganaPolice @TelanganaForest please take action against the miscreants,” another tweet said later in the day.
In 2019, the state government of Telangana decided to axe down the banyan trees lining the NH-163 from Moinabad to Manneguda. Activists and nature enthusiasts in the city cried hoarse at the government’s decision and till date are trying to get the state government to grant heritage status to the trees.
Save the Chevella Banyans group has been relentless in its fight with the authorities both online and on-ground in protesting against the proposed project that they say would lead to the felling of a large number of trees.
In an attempt to save over 9000 trees which include over 1000 majestic banyans, the citizen collective knocked on the doors of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to stop the proposed road widening project on NH163.
A petition was filed in December 2021 by the “Save Banyans of Chevella Group”, urging the NGT to either stop the project or ask the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to obtain environmental clearance after conducting a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
“The project could also endangers the last-remaining scrub forests of Mudimyal and Kandlapally–home to many grassland specialists, including the migrating Harriers and the rare Tawny Eagles (listed as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List)” the group had said.
Under the banner of Nature lovers of Hyderabad, several well known city activists have pointed out how cutting down of the trees or even translocating them, would be perilous.
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