NALGONDA: Thousands of trees planted during the previous BRS government with huge funds along the Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway may now be at risk of being removed due to road expansion.
The highway, which currently has four lanes, is to be upgraded to six lanes. After the Congress government assumed power, Telangana Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy held discussions with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and announced plans to expand the highway to six lanes.
The expansion work is set to begin in March. Consequently, the trees planted along both sides of the highway are likely to be removed.
Under the “Haritha Haram” scheme of the previous government, launched by the ex-chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, as many as 1.5 lakh trees of around 30 different species were planted along the highway on July 10, 2016.
The highway stretches across 163 kilometers, running from the outskirts of Hyderabad to the border with Andhra Pradesh.
The Forest department undertook afforestation along a 132-kilometer stretch of the highway between Choutuppal’s Pantangi Toll Plaza and Nallabandugudem of Kodad mandal, Suryapet district, on the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border.
The remaining 31 kilometers between the Ramoji Film City and the Pantangi Toll Plaza was handled by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
To ensure their survival, tree guards were installed and the plan ts were regularly watered, with district forest officials overseeing their condition. According to the authorities, nearly 95% of the planted trees have survived.
The scenic beauty of the highway, flanked by trees on both sides, has been appreciated by travelers, including Kodad resident S Narsing Rao, who told TNIE, “It made the journey pleasant.”
However, he said that the previous government, without much foresight, had planted these trees along a four-lane road, only for them to be at risk of removal due to expansion. This would not only destroy the greenery but also waste crores of rupees of public funds.
Senior citizen N Prakash Reddy expressed concern over the loss of greenery and the potential waste of taxpayer money invested in maintaining the trees. Meanwhile, the government is considering the construction of service roads on either side of the highway in areas with heavy village traffic to prevent disruptions to highway traffic.
TNIE’s attempts to reach officials regarding the status of the trees along the highway went unanswered.