HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued interim orders restraining the State government from felling trees in KBR Park. Hearing arguments on a PIL filed by environmental activists Kaajal Maheswari, Jasven Jairath and Sagar Dhara, that for widening roads as part of Strategic Road Development Plan, trees were being felled, the court also asked the Forest Department to submit a report on the number of trees already felled, their age and other details.
The activists contended that KBR Park has been in the thick of controversy ever since the government decided to lay roads around it which requires chopping of about 1,300 trees. The High Court in the past asked the State government to spell out its stand on the re-notification modifying the eco-sensitive zone at KBR Park and expressed the opinion that the state government has a major role in deciding the extent of ECZ of the park. The petitioners challenged the re-notification on the ground that it led to the shrinking of the ECZ.
Historic hearing
Meanwhile, the team of citizens behind the Save KBR campaign expressed satisfaction at the High Court order and described it as a historic hearing. The team stated they were confident to have the next hearing scheduled for September 29 in their favour while saying that the government would not be able to produce any proof of the public hearing held, which was the bone of contention in the issue.
“This is yet another historic hearing in the High Court today for the activists fighting for the KBR case for the last six years. In this time frame, there have been many winnings by the virtue of strong arguments and persistence of the strong citizen movement. I think now we can finally say KBR National Park has been saved from the ambitious onslaught of the SRDP Flyover,” said Kaajal Maheshwari, a core member of the Save KBR campaign. She further said that they were confident and can prove that this “so-called public hearing” never took place.