Chevella highway banyan count lower than NHAI claim, survey flags extensive damage
HYDERABAD: Even as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed to translocate 150 banyan trees in Chevella and preserve 765 in situ out of 911 listed in its report, a fresh ground assessment has flagged discrepancies in tree count and condition along the stretch.
A field survey conducted by two master’s students of forestry (natural resources management), with support from Vata Foundation, found that only 867 trees currently exist on site. The assessment recorded damage to a majority of trees, including burn injuries and heavy pruning. 867 trees counted, at least 184 banyans were found burnt at the base, while more than 300 showed damage such as burnt branches, partially charred trunks, and severe trimming. “Several trees were found dead, while some could not be located at all,” said Boda Vijendar, one of the researchers. Trees burnt at the base were unlikely to survive, he added.
L Siddhartha, another researcher, said the team also found dead banyans lying on the ground. “We saw a few dead trees which had died in the same manner—burnt at the base,” he said.
Environmental activist Uday Krishna of Vata Foundation cautioned that the proposed preservation plan could prove counterproductive. “A banyan tree needs 360-degree space to grow. Confining it to a 1.5-m median with highways on both sides is short-sighted,” he said, adding that banyans along the Chevella road were already losing branches due to the absence of aerial root support.
Krishna also pointed out that the petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) focused only on banyans, leaving out other species. “An earlier NHAI report mentions nearly 9,331 trees of other species along the stretch. Neither the NHAI report nor the NGT petition addresses their fate,” he said.
Responding to the criticism, Natasha Ramaratnam, one of the petitioners, said the revised alignment would protect other species as well. “The NHAI changed the alignment to include trees as avenue plantations or in the median. Other species will also be protected similarly,” she said, adding that the petition focused on banyans because of their heritage value.
Local residents, however, have raised safety concerns. Dileep Reddy, who owns a petrol pump along the highway, said falling branches during thunderstorms could pose risks to people and vehicles.
