NHAI says rethinking road-widening ‘not possible’

HYDERABAD: As protests continue against the planned axing and translocation of over 9,000 trees on the Hyderabad-Chevella-Bijapur highway, officials say any re-thinking of the road widening project is out of the question as plans have been finalised.
Speaking to STOI, a source from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The alignment of the road has been finalised.There cannot be any change now.” His comments come in light of pleas by activists and city residents that the road plan be ‘re-thought’ to save the majestic trees, including 1,200 banyans, on the stretch. The NHAI plans to convert the road into a four-lane stretch.
The source said, “Our proposal for translocation of trees will have to be examined by the forest department. Discussions are in progress regarding how to carry out the translocation process and whether there is any previous experience in taking up such a mammoth project.” Asked when road widening work would begin, he said, “Several permissions are required. It may take a year or even more than that for work to begin.”
Even though discussions are only in the preliminary stages, residents are stepping up their efforts to save the trees with the hope that protests now will make more of an impact.
On Saturday, a large group of residents under the banner ‘Save the Banyans of Chevella’, went to the area to highlight the issue. This is the second consecutive day that they have been protesting.
“The problem is that translocation suits the government. It makes them look better. A bit like compensatory afforestation,” said Rebecca Mathai, who is part of Nature Lovers of Hyderabad, an informal residents’ group opposing the translocation of the trees. “We saw translocated trees along our way. Like amputated war veterans. Mere stumps even after lapse of time,” she said.
Sadhana Ramchander, who has been pivotal in organising the protests, agrees. “We came across trees that had been translocated on the stretch a long time ago. Of 20 such trees that we spotted, only one had survived.” She said the next step would be to try to get a heritage tag for the trees.
Elaborating on the roadmap for getting a heritage tag, Kobita Dass Kolli, another protester, said, “We will try to get carbon dating done. This will give us clinching proof about the age of the trees, whose heritage value is undeniable.” Calling the move to translocate the trees bizarre, she said, “Even when the temperature is soaring, if one just stands under these trees, one feels cool. If the stump of the tree is left, what have you saved?”
The protesters also met with the Vikarabad collector on Saturday. The collector, they said, responded positively to doing whatever it took to save the Chevella trees.