Saving Botanical Gardens TJAC joins protest

Plan to build commercial complexes and multiplexes decried

TJAC members alleged that a mega project was being taken up at the 300-acre garden on a budget of Rs 6000 crore. As part of the project there would be a shopping complex and multiplex. The developers have have revived the proposal in the name of ‘eco-tourism’

Santosh Padala

A strong resistance is building up against the construction of commercial complexes and multiplexes at the green cover provided by the Botanical Gardens in Kondapur. The protest is being led by the Walkers’ Association and TJAC. The association and organisations have joined hands to save the 25-year-old garden which is endowed with rare plant species.
Walkers’ Association President Prof G Haragopal said, “A total of 5000-7000 trees were felled by a few contractors to convert the garden into an eco-tourism destination. As many as 44,000 trees can be found in the garden. The garden has provided the city with the much needed green space. It was developed as part of the Social Forestry project. They are not supposed to undertake any such commercial activity in this space.”

M Kodandaram, Chairman, Telangana Joint Action Committee, pledged his support for the protection of this garden on Sunday. He said that TJAC would strive for the restoration of Botanical Gardens He was speaking at a programme held at the garden by the Walkers’ Association. Several members of the TJAC including Chukka Ramaiah visited the gardens following reports of trespassing in the garden. Kodandaram assured that the TJAC would stand by the walkers in the protest against the encroachment of the garden. He said the project would damage the environment of the city even after the formation of Telangana.

He alleged that a mega project was being taken up at the 300-acre garden on a budget of Rs 6000 crore. As part of the project there would be a shopping complex and multiplex. The permissions for the proposals were cancelled when Jairam Ramesh, was the Union Minister for Environment. But the developers have managed to revive the proposal in the name of ‘eco-tourism’.

The garden would be destroyed to make way for a shopping complex and multiplex. The protesters alleged that, “the forest officials are trying to hand over the gardens to the contractors by certifying the area as a rocky area, but on the contrary the garden is abundant with lush greenery and thousands of trees. Apart from the flora, this garden plays home to a lot of fauna and avian species, lamented the human rights activists. For the sake of city of Hyderabad, the garden has to be preserved. Because many open spaces in the city have vanished in the name of development.”