Hyderabad: Greens see red over heritage tree felling

Hyderabad: Even as the State government is encouraging citizens to enhance greenery through its Haritha Haram campaign, a huge tree, over a century-old, near the Nizam's Museum was felled at a construction site in Purani Haveli under Bahadurpura MRO's jurisdiction.

This triggered an outcry from green activists, who later took up the issue with the mandal revenue officials prompting them to impose huge fine on persons responsible for the act.

According to activists, the tree was cut without permission by the Forest authorities and others for the construction of a building. In the entire area, it was the only huge tree that provided some relief from pollution to the residents.

"The huge tree could at least be saved with its trunks intact. Once again, it is proved that multi-governance is a null governance. The tree was chopped down. Can we afford this in times of existential crisis and climate degradation?" asked environmental activist Dr Lubna Sarwath. "When asked to give the action taken report on the tree felling, the Bahadurpura MRO was clueless. The officer does not know the number of trees in his jurisdiction," she pointed out. According to WALTA (Water, Land and Tree Act), there should be no chopping of trees in the city without permission of WALTA authorities. She sought to know if any if meeting was convened before the tree was felled.

"MRO informed that there is no WALTA authority meeting convened till date," she said, requesting the officials to convene the Bahadurpura Mandal WALTA authority meeting immediately and take action against those responsible for the act.

Meanwhile, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was confronted by the Forest Range Office (FRO) staff and it was asked to put forth in writing the reasons for felling of the tree without the knowledge of the Forest department.