Massive felling of trees raises netizens hackles

Nallagandla: The residents residing on the Nallagandla-Tellapur road raised an alarm against the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Department (GHMC) and forest department after a close to 130 trees were axed on Thursday night.

Expressing his disappointment over the apathy by the department P Uday Krishna, Vata Foundation said, "I have been relocating big trees for the GHMC department past nine years they call me every time even if there's one tree that needs to be relocated, however this time nobody bothered to call me. I have been asking the GHMC department to allow me to relocate the trees but all the requests are in vain"

Mentioning in a tweet Hari Chandana, Zonal Commissioner (Serilingampally), GHMC, stated, "The road is under development for the convenience of nearly five lakhs commuters by the RnB department. The trees are removed after permission from the forest dept." "Everyone's concern for saving these trees is well appreciated. Five times the trees cut today will be replanted on the sides of the road," she promised further.

"The trees cut down on the stretch were around 10 to 15 years old. One big tree standing is close enough to 100 saplings planted. Replanting five times more saplings is not a solution as the survival rate for the saplings is very less," said P Uday Krishna.