E-Paper
Hold study on impact of felling of trees in Chevella region of Hyderabad: NGT
The NGT gave the order after hearing the petition filed by the citizen action group, Save Banyans of Chevella. The primary objective of the EIA is to minimise the felling of trees in the Chevella region
Hyderabad
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to study the impact of felling of hundreds of century-old banyan trees and other rare flora, before taking up the expansion of National Highway 163 between Hyderabad and Bijapur passing through Chevella in Ranga Reddy district.
The order of the NGT, which was uploaded on its website on Tuesday and was reviewed by HT, said though the road expansion project was taken up in public interest and could not be stopped or put to stand still, considering the rare phenomena of existence of more than 800 numbers of Banyan Trees besides several thousands of other trees, an Environmental Impact Assessment is suggested and the expansion project of the road may be taken up after the EIA study is conducted.
The NGT asked the NHAI to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to minimize the loss to the trees before proceeding further. It also directed the Union ministry of environment and forests to issue the Terms of Reference (ToR) to the NHAI at the earliest and complete the process within four months.
The NGT gave the order after hearing the petition filed by the citizen action group, Save Banyans of Chevella. The primary objective of the EIA is to minimize the felling of trees in the Chevella region.
The NGT bench, consisting of Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and Satyagopal Korlapati, specifically pointed out NHAI’s unwillingness to explore options like re-aligning the road or creating bypasses to protect a larger number of trees. The tribunal emphasized that NHAI should have conducted a thorough analysis of all feasible alternatives.
Citing various domestic and international case law, the NGT stressed the urgency of environmental conservation and called upon NHAI to assess the social, economic, and environmental repercussions of tree removal. The judgment also emphasized the ecological benefits of roadside trees, particularly the Banyan species.
The Save Chevella Banyans campaign and the Nature Lovers of Hyderabad have welcomed the NGT’s decision, providing hope for numerous citizen groups and individuals striving to protect trees from indiscriminate destruction.
“NGT has ruled in our favour. They have asked NHAI to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before touching any of the Chevella Banyans,” said environmentalist and heritage activist Mohammad Saifullah.
He said this was a pathbreaking and landmark judgment. “There is no precedent of an EIA for roadside trees outside forests or reserves. This case is a wedge into the mad expansion of infrastructure,” he said.
