Telangana HC notices over cutting translocated trees at Manikonda

Telangana High Court issues notices to Forest Department, GHMC, and Manikonda municipality over cutting translocated trees for cricket ground.

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the officials of Forest Department, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Manikonda municipality over cutting translocated trees to pave the way for cricket ground at Manikonda.

A Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti issued notices after hearing a PIL petition filed by VATA foundation represented by its founder Uday Krishna Peddireddi. The petitioner informed the court that the PIL plea was filed aggrieved by the inaction of the municipal authorities to protect the fully grown trees.

According to the petitioner, the GHMC authorities decided to remove 100 fully grown trees for construction of a fly-over on Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kukatpally Housing Board stretch. The VATA foundation translocated 70 trees to a place nearer to a graveyard and cricket ground in Manikonda.

However, the municipal authorities had cut off 40 of the 70 translocated trees to develop the cricket ground there. This was done without securing permissions from the government departments concerned, the petitioner said. The Bench directed the authorities to file counter affidavit within four weeks.