Green Mantra: Uproot & Re-plant

Hyderabad: A large number of trees to be uprooted and translocated from Uppal and Kondapur in the next two to three days to facilitate construction works of the Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP) works.

According to official statements, around 200 trees can be translocated from Uppal road. The Tree Protection Committee of Telangana has permitted their translocation from among the pillars. Initially, 50 trees are coming under pillars of an elevated corridor being constructed by roads and buildings departments. Most of them facing the axe are of Ficus Religiosa ( Raavi or Peepal) species.

"Although permission was given for4 translocation of trees, not all the species can be translocated. Moreover, the count of trees chopped is more in number than that actually quoted for permission. In a smart game play, to keep the figure small, the Tree Protection Committee permitted chopping trees for a 4m to 4m pillar and we have filed a PIL in the month of May against it and the permission is granted for translocation to protect trees," said Uday Krishna, the founding trustee of Vata Foundation.

In Kondapur, around 210 trees will be translocated from Botanical Garden to facilitate widening of roads and construction of flyover. To ensure flexible translocation of trees, GHMC has tied up with Vata Foundation and the contract is finalised at a marginal cost of Rs 10 lakh and the foundation has been saving lives of trees for the last 10 years. They also filed a PIL in 2015 to save chopping trees and now the government has given nod for translocations.

The roads and building department reportedly claimed insufficient funds for translocation and asked for a helping hand to save trees and Vata Foundation has stepped forward to translocate the trees. Vata team will be translocating trees from Uppal roads to a venture nearby. Kondapur trees will be translocated to Botanical Gardens.

"Though it is tough to take up the translocation works in the coronavirus lockdown as it would be difficult to arrange volunteers but with the help of permanent volunteers and the team members we are going to make it happen," said Uday Krishna. If one per cent of any infrastructure project cost must be allotted for tree translocation, it will help greenery to expand, he added.