Hyderabad Tree Protection Panel Faces Flak Over Erroneous Cutting Permits

Field inspections in Hyderabad reveal serious errors and misidentifications in official tree felling and translocation permissions granted for major public projects.

Falaknuma And Cherlapally Projects

At Falaknuma, a healthy rain tree growing on a railway over bridge was marked for translocation to clear the way for Metro Rail expansion, a move that would require demolishing the flyover itself. Nearby median palm trees marked for translocation are bare trunks without any crown. Meanwhile, for an access road to the Cherlapally Railway Station by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, a total of 2,519 trees are affected, with 1,883 permitted for felling and 636 for translocation.

Identification Errors

Field checks at Cherlapally showed multiple discrepancies where tree species and numbers on the ground did not match the official permission copies. Healthy copper pod trees were axed while dead trees were marked for translocation. A large, healthy peepal tree with a two-metre girth was misidentified as Subabul and marked for felling due to false claims of termite infestation. Forest department field officials failed to explain the wrong markings or the signatures on inspection reports, where members who signed were absent from the actual site visit.

Context

Tree protection committees are mandated by governments to oversee urban development while preserving green cover, but coordination gaps often arise between infrastructure agencies and environmental guidelines. Public scrutiny and RTI requests remain key tools for civil society groups to check administrative oversight in urban forestry projects.