An independent decision taken allegedly by the Cyberabad traffic police without consultations with either the government or the other stake stakeholders has resulted in green carnage on Hitech City-KPHB stretch in the city.
Close to one-and-a-half months into the illegal felling of 73 trees on the stretch, no official has been identified as responsible for the decision.
A Forest Range Officer on deputation to the GHMC as the manager of the Urban Biodiversity wing has been suspended for the incident involving illegal felling of 73 trees towards April-end.
Another victim in the incident was a hapless labourer who brought hired trucks to remove the tree waste from the road. His trucks were seized by the foresters and he was made to pay close to ₹1 lakh as the compounding fee.
Though the departmental enquiry has identified the role of GHMC and traffic higher officials, no punitive action has been initiated against them so far.
Reliable sources have revealed that the higher authorities of Cyberabad traffic police were responsible for bringing pressure on the GHMC for removal of the trees, and the footpath on which they stood, to make way for expansion of the road, a job which is not within the purview of the traffic police.
The original proposal was to provide service roads on either side to take the burden off the main road, on both sides of which are quite a few big ticket projects pertaining to realty and healthcare.
The proposal had not progressed as desired, owing to a few property owners filling litigations in the High Court, sources informed. Service roads were laid wherever the right of way was available, and the project was closed.
Seeking relief for the ever expanding vehicular traffic on the busy road, higher authorities of the Cyberabad traffic police reportedly brought pressure upon the GHMC officials to get their will done, without going through the forest permissions rigmarole.
The fact that the stretch does not allow for creating a new footpath if the existing one is removed, had no bearing on the drastic, unilateral decision.
When the outrage by activists and concerned citizens was difficult to handle, the Manager, Urban Biodiversity, who was present at the location, was suspended. Despite presence of traffic police in high numbers, no action has been taken against any of them.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad Traffic, K .Narayan Naik, upon seeking his version, replied that it was wrong information, and he had nothing to do with the decision to remove the trees.
“Not correct, I am taking care of traffic, but not the trees,” was his reply to the query.
