Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Tuesday issued notices to the Telangana government and the principal chief conservator of forests, and Chief wildlife warden, asking them to respond to a public motion regarding the latest notification of the center for modification of environmentally sensitive zones in KBR National Park.
A few of the Hyderabadi environmental activists filed a petition on the issue over ‘Shrink Kasu Brahmanandha Reddy (KBR) park an Eco-Sensitive Zone’ reached the high court.
Ever since it came to know that the state government has planned to build roads around it as part of its strategic road development plan, which will require the cutting down of more than 1,300 trees, Many citizens staged a protest and held rallies against the government for shrinking the national park.
Also, last year, its ESZ was finalized between 3-29 meters from the forest boundary, which will narrow the walkways around it.
Taking a serious view, the judges said: “If we let such parks shrink indiscriminately, we will all collapse.” The judges clarified that the state government has an important role to play in deciding the extent of the environment-sensitive zone related to KBR Park.
A petition was heard by chief justice Hima Kohli and justice B Vijaysen Reddy and it has been filed by Kaajal Maheshwari, Jasveen Jairath and Sagar Dhara.
As per the report by the Times of India, the judges said KBR Park is in the middle of the city and serves as a major lung site. Citing the pandemic that destroyed the lungs before killing people, the judges said such parks should not be small in size. Environmentalists say the zone has indeed been reduced. They were also upset because there was an announcement that the public hearing was over.
The judges adjourned the case to June 24.
