Greens gear up to roll out drive for upkeep of trees across city

Hyderabad: Over the past two months, numerous trees have been either cut down or unlawfully pruned throughout the city to make room for developmental activities. Additionally, many large trees are not receiving proper maintenance, causing concern among environmental enthusiasts. To safeguard the green cover, the Vata Foundation, along with several environmental enthusiasts, has devised plans to initiate an awareness campaign focusing on the maintenance of trees.

According to recent data, over 300 trees have been chopped for various purposes, including road extensions and the expansion of the railway station. Alarming is the fact that the chopping down of trees has occurred without any prior notice, impacting areas such as Bowenpally, Moosapet, Hitech City, Medchal, and Banjara Hills.

Uday Krishna, a green enthusiast and founder of Vata Foundation, said, “Tree chopping is rapidly increasing in the city for development purposes. Despite the State government’s claims of saving the green cover through extensive tree planting initiatives like Harithaharam, there is an alarming trend of newly planted trees being uprooted. Furthermore, the existing mature trees are not receiving adequate maintenance from either the government or the citizens. Trees are unfortunately being misused for publicity, with posters hung on their bark, and tree guards, meant for protecting trees during their growth, are often neglected once the trees are fully grown. In response to this, a cleanup drive is being planned, along with awareness campaigns to educate people on the importance of protecting and maintaining trees.”

“The primary objective of the cleaning campaign is to prevent trees from being labelled or nailed. Ideally, this responsibility should be undertaken by the municipal body. Unfortunately, fully grown trees are often neglected, leading to issues such as nailing, which can adversely affect tree growth and weaken the bark. There have been instances where trees have dried up due to such practices. Preserving the green cover is of utmost importance, especially in a city where trees are frequently cut down for road expansion projects. To address these concerns and raise awareness about the significance of maintaining trees, we are initiating an awareness and maintenance programme,” he added.