The Supreme Court on Monday ordered an immediate halt to tree-felling within the originally proposed eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of 25 to 35 metres around KBR National Park while hearing a petition challenging large-scale construction and road expansion activity around the protected area.
Court Order and Next Hearing
A bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the Telangana government and directed that no trees be felled in the disputed zone until the next hearing on July 27. The order came during the hearing of a petition filed by Kaajal Maheshwari, Sagar Dhara, and Jasveen Jairath.
Background of the Petition
The petitioners challenged the 2020 notification that reduced the ESZ around KBR park from the earlier proposed 25-35 metres to between 3 and 29.8 metres. They contend that this reduction was carried out without conducting a mandatory public hearing and was aimed at facilitating infrastructure and road expansion projects.
Senior advocate K Vivek Reddy, appearing for the petitioners, informed the court that tree-felling and construction activity were continuing "day and night" despite earlier proceedings before the Telangana High Court. Reddy submitted that while the original ESZ proposal notified in 2015 protected a 25 to 35 metre buffer around the park, the state government later pushed for a drastically reduced zone.
Allegations of Procedural Violations
The petition states that the state government had earlier admitted before the High Court that no public hearing was conducted prior to the 2020 notification. It also alleges that the expert committee examining the proposal was informed about plans to fell nearly 1,300 trees for road development around the park.
Link to Infrastructure Projects
The petitioners further argued that the reduced ESZ was intended to accommodate the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP), which has now been replaced by the Hyderabad City Innovative Transport Improvement (H-CITI) project. According to the plea, H-CITI proposes major flyovers, underpasses, and road widening works encircling the park.
Environmental Concerns
The plea also alleges violations of environmental safeguards, claiming that construction debris, waste dumping, and other activities have already affected the park's ecosystem. The petitioners have sought a stay on all construction, infrastructure, and industrial activity in and around the park until the challenge to the 2020 ESZ notification is decided.
The Supreme Court's intervention comes as a significant step in protecting the green cover around KBR National Park, which is a vital ecological zone in Hyderabad. The next hearing on July 27 will determine further course of action.
