HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited’s road expansion plans along three-kilometre-long Old Mumbai Highway might be a death knell for over 200 fully grown trees. The Corporation still hasn’t found a place to relocate them. Sources say that authorities at the University of Hyderabad, which lies along the road, were approached but space was denied for these trees of diverse species.
The HRDCL started works last month, starting from a 7-metre carriageway on both sides to 10-metre widening to allow free flow of traffic on the road that links Gachibowli to Serlingampally. The clearing of many shrubs and smaller trees has already taken place on about 750-1 km stretch, but the project has been stopped for the need of further permissions from forest department. Majority of the trees on this stretch are anywhere close to 15-20 years old, say experts. They are of protected, critical varieties.
“The stretch from stadium to bus depot can be divided into three types of green cover. From Stadium to HCU small gate are multiple shrubs and flowering plants and eucalyptus trees. From the small gate to HCU main gate are a variety of subabul trees. The next stretch from HCU main gate to the bus depot has some very important trees like peepal and peltoform species which require conservation,” says noted conservationist Ravi Jillapalli. While the HRDCL has temporarily halted the whole process of road expansion to avoid the reckless felling of trees. But they claim they are helpless.
“The road expansion will take place and we are only waiting for the permissions from the forest department. But to avoid this felling, in the meantime, we are trying to find organisations that can translocate these important trees. We had also requested the Central university to permit us to translocate these trees, but they are not allowing, so we are confused,” adds J Mohan Naik, Chief Engineer of HRDCL.
Experts suggest that at least 80 of these trees are critical and must be translocated. “The identified trees have peltophorum, neem and peepal trees which are crucial to the biodiversity in the area and must be salvaged,” noted Uday Krishna of Vata Foundation. The felling also comes in the light of over 80 young trees of Pagoda and Ta Bebuia Rosia species being uprooted near Masjid Banda, two years after they were planted, in order to give way to a flyover under the Strategic Road Development Programme (SRDP) project.
Shrubs and smaller trees already cleared
The HRDCL started works last month, starting from a 7-metre carriageway on both sides to 10-metre widening to allow free flow of traffic on the road that links Gachibowli to Serlingampally. The clearing of many shrubs and smaller trees has already taken place on about 750-1 km stretch, but the project has been stopped for the need of further permissions from forest department
‘Govt’s Harita Haaram target unrealistic’
Although the State government does not admit to it, officials say that the target set by government of planting 10 crore saplings in four years period is unrealistic, especially keeping in mind lack of enough open space in city to plant saplings