Hyderabad’s green cover is once again under attack, this time in Kondapur, where a significant number of mature trees were recently chopped down. This alarming act of deforestation was carried out by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) despite their permission from the Tree Protection Committee (TPC) having expired.
Eyewitnesses report that over a dozen majestic rain trees and copper pod trees, all boasting lush canopies, were felled along the road margins between the Chandra Rajeshwar Rao Foundation and the RTA Office in Kondapur. More trees were brutally reduced to bare trunks, purportedly for ‘translocation’ efforts.
Records show that the Deputy Commissioner of Chandanagar submitted an online application to the TPC in March, requesting permission to fell 32 trees for road widening. Following a field inspection on June 16, the committee approved the felling of 18 trees and the translocation of 14 others. The TPC also suggested exploring translocation for other species like Peltophorum, Bignonia, and palms, contingent on successful outcomes.
Crucially, the permission letter explicitly stated that all felling or translocation activities must be completed by August 27, 2025. However, the GHMC brazenly disregarded this condition, commencing the tree felling a full two weeks past the mandated deadline, in clear violation of the TPC’s directive.
“It was nothing short of a massacre,” lamented Uday Krishna Peddireddi from the Vata Foundation. “They ruthlessly cut down these massive trees, many with bird nests, showing no regard for them as living beings. This happens repeatedly across the city, yet they always seem to get away with it. And the timber is undoubtedly sold to line their pockets.”
Peddireddi also raised concerns about the translocation method itself, noting that all branches were indiscriminately chopped off, leaving only a bare trunk of three to four feet above ground.
When contacted for comment, Deputy Commissioner Shashirekha of Chandanagar claimed no knowledge of the tree felling. Forest officials, similarly, failed to respond to inquiries regarding operations conducted beyond the TPC’s stipulated timeline.