Hyderabad: UBW finally translocates trees axed for flyover construction

Hyderabad: Reports of The Hans India regarding viciously cutting of fully-grown trees wayside of the road from Zoo Park to Aram Ghar for construction of flyovers has drawn the attention of officials from Urban Biodiversity Wing of GHMC, who finally took pain to translocate the trunks to Mailardevpally area.

Soon after the reports the Urban Bio-diversity Wing of GHMC swung into action and employed an ace hydraulic crane to uproot nearly two dozen huge trees and a heavy trailer truck to shift them at identified location in Mailardevpally area almost 10 km away from Zoo Park.

The issue was first raised on December 13 "GHMC cocks a snook at WALTA Act, fells trees at Tadbund" and another on January 24 "Axe continue to fall on trees for flyovers" highlighting the brutal cutting of fully grown trees to pave way for the construction of two flyovers on national highway No.44 from Zoo Park to Aram Ghar.

Prasanna Kumar, Manager of Urban Biodiversity Wing of GHMC informed "Almost 22 huge trees were uprooted from the Zoo Park and Shivrampally areas and have been translocated to Mailardevpally this week. All the trunks of the trees have been planted safely on the maiden part of the road after finding it appropriate to translocate. Though we have exercised this earlier too in the north of the city, this comes for the first time in the southern part of the city at Rajendranagar area." "Trees at Zoo Park and Shivrampally areas were carefully uprooted and covered before shifting them to identified locations," the official said adding that "Earlier, miraculously all the preparations were made at Mailardevpally area where the translocation of trees was done under expert advice."

Praising the translocating of fully matured trees standing tall wayside on the roads and protecting the environment for years, Osman Alhajri, senior Congress leader said, "Happy to see that the urban biodiversity wing has finally realised the role fully grown up trees play for a sustainable environment and the survival of living things on the planet. Hope no more trees will be axed ruthlessly and discarded hence force while taking up road widening works in the city and elsewhere."