Hyderabad: Concerns over the potential loss of more than 3000 trees in Hyderabad’s KBR Park surfaced in the Telangana High Court on Monday, September 8, with petitioners warning that the proposed road infrastructure around the park would severely impact the city’s ecological balance.

The court, hearing long-pending public interest litigations, directed the Union Ministry of Environment to file its counter-affidavit within six weeks.

PILs challenge 2015 orders

The PILs were filed in 2016 by environmentalist K Purushotham Reddy and others, challenging government orders issued in 2015 for the construction of flyovers and underpasses at major junctions surrounding the park.

The petitioners argued that the project would strip the park of thousands of trees, threatening the survival of wildlife and rare bird species inhabiting the green stretch. They asserted that large-scale tree felling in such an ecologically sensitive zone would disturb Hyderabad’s already fragile environmental equilibrium.

The case came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice Apresh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin. During the proceedings, Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy defended the government’s position, stating that precautionary steps had been taken to safeguard the environment.

He submitted that the state had already filed a detailed counter explaining the measures undertaken. However, he pointed out that the Union Ministry of Environment, one of the respondents in the case, was yet to file its stand.

Centre asked to submit counter

Taking note of the submissions, the bench ordered the Centre to submit its counter affidavit within six weeks and adjourned the matter.

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