HYDERABAD: The Telangana Forest Department issued a GO on Friday, permitting the re-carpeting of a portion of National Highway-765 that passes through the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. The State government had accorded permission for the highway as it would connect Hyderabad to Srisailam.
The permission for re-carpeting has been accorded along with a set of conditions that have to be followed, including no tree felling, no breaking of fresh forest land, no widening of the road, no crushing or breaking of stones, no work to be taken up after sunset, etc.
While the State government has laid many conditions to ensure that the re-carpeting does not impact the forest, conservationists are skeptical of the move. One tiger conservationist said, “The highway was in a decent condition and there was no need to take up re-carpeting. The work will result in an increase in the speed of vehicles, which will prove dangerous for animals.”