NGT orders NHAI to conduct EIA to minimise loss of Chevella Banyans

Hyderabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct an environmental impact assessment study to minimize tree loss during the expansion of National Highway 163, which connects Hyderabad and Bijapur.

In response to a petition filed by members of the environmental group 'Save Banyans of Chevella' opposing the removal of ancient banyan trees for road expansion, the NGT has given the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change four months to issue terms of reference and complete the assessment process.

Initially, more than 1,000 trees along the 46-kilometer stretch between Moinabad and Manneguda were slated for removal to make way for the four-lane road. However, citizen activists raised objections in 2019.

In its judgment, the NGT bench, led by Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana and Satyagopal Korlapati, expressed concerns about the viability of transplanting 780 banyan trees, as it can be a costly endeavor. Furthermore, transplantation is only feasible for trees with a girth not exceeding 65 centimeters. The bench also noted that if uprooted trees are transplanted but do not survive, it would result in a wasteful expense.