Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court issued notices to the Forest Department, GHMC, and Manikonda municipality for falling 70 trees at a cricket ground on Wednesday, February 14.
Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti acted on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO VATA Foundation which challenged the municipal authorities’ failure to safeguard mature trees.
Vata Foundation, an environmental NGO, filed the PIL after GHMC decided to remove 100 mature trees for a flyover project on the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kukatpally Housing Board route in Manikonda.
Vata Foundation translocated 70 of the 100 trees closer to a graveyard and the cricket ground in Manikonda. Of the 70 trees translocated, 40 were cut down by municipal authorities to make room for the cricket ground, without the necessary permissions from government departments.
The court has ordered a counter affidavit from the authorities within four weeks.
