HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the concerned authorities of Telangana government to take steps ensuring that the contractors concerned stop felling trees for next four weeks besides the road leading to Mallepally towards Nagarjuna Sagar near Rangareddy gudem in Nalgonda district, and not to make any payments to them until further orders.
The bench issued notices to the contractor and sub-contractor for appearance. The bench of Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhatt was passing this interim order in the PIL filed by advocate T Rajinikanth Reddy against cutting of trees, including those which were over 50 years old, on the said road for the purpose of laying pipeline without obtaining any permission from the competent authority.
On earlier occasion, petitioner’s counsel T Srinivas told the court that the authorities have failed to prevent the concerned contractor from cutting down the trees without obtaining any permission. The inaction of the authorities in having alternative arrangements to safeguard the trees was illegal and contrary to the AP Water Land and Trees Act, 2002. In fact, there was availability of high technology machinery to transplant the trees instead of cutting them down, he added. While adjourning the case hearing, the bench directed the concerned contractor to appear before it on the next date of hearing.
When the matter came up, the government counsel submitted that the contractor was informed but he has failed to appear before the court.Taking this submission into consideration, the bench passed the above interim order and directed the officials concerned to ensure that the contractors concerned appear on the next date of case hearing. The matter was posted after two weeks.