HYDERABAD: Over 300 residents from across the city gathered at the Nallagandla and Tellapur roads, formed a human chain and reiterated their stand on the felling of nearly 100 trees in the area as part of a road-widening project.
The locals are now demanding a policy-level change in matters of city’s green cover and want the government to consider their opinions when giving out permits to chop off trees for development projects.
“We all have come to the consensus that the leftover trees must not be cut at any cost, neither must they be translocated. This campaign will now submit a memorandum of demands to the government, demanding a policy-level change. We want that not just the tree protection committee and the forest department, but also the locals must be involved in the process of handing out permits,” added Matta Suresh, a resident who had first protested the felling.
The locals are now demanding for improved public transport, better sewage network, more public toilets, and proper waste management for Tellapur and Nallagandla, stating that these issues were more important than road widening.
“I have been coming here for the past few days and saw nearly 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles passing by. Why is R&B insistent on widening this road? If the situation was like the one as seen in Madhapur, then it is understandable. Ironically, they enthusiastically cut the trees, but not the electric poles, as for them trees don’t seem to have a value,” opined a protester.
Last week, the area witnessed chopping of close to 99 trees by the R&B department as part of a road-widening project.
Following citizen protests, the permissions given to the R&B department to fell these trees were temporarily put on hold by the forest department.
On Sunday, the citizens, including children and elderly, came out in a show of resolve.