SC slams Hyd tree felling, seeks a restoration plan

The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised the Telangana government for justifying the large-scale felling of trees across 100 acres of the 400 acres of ecologically sensitive Kancha Gachibowli area in Hyderabad.

- Ayesha Arvind

NEW DELHI:

Pulling up the state for acting in clear violation of established environmental norms, the court warned that senior bureaucrats, including the state chief secretary, could face "temporary imprisonment" if the damage was not addressed through an immediate restoration plan to be submitted to the court in four weeks, keeping the matter for further consideration on May 15. A bench of justices Bhushan R Gavai and Augustine George Masih ordered there be no further felling of trees and directed the Wildlife Warden in the state to take immediate steps for protecting the wildlife in the deforested area.

The bench also rejected the state's argument that the thousands of trees felled fell under an "exempted" category and therefore did not require prior permission.