Civic Mail

Illegal felling of six trees in Dammaiguda prompts immediate action

illegal tree felling Dammaiguda

Hyderabad: In a distressing incident, six large trees were illegally felled by locals along PS Rao Nagar Road No 9A, Dammaiguda, in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Friday, June 28. This urgent matter requires immediate attention and action.

Speaking to Hyderabad Mail, Srikhande Umesh Kumar, an RTI activist, founder of Know Your Rights, and resident of Dammaiguda, expressed his dismay, saying, “On my way home, I discovered that six large trees had been cut down. Laws have long been in place to protect trees, making such actions illegal. Even for tree cutting on private property, government permission is mandatory.”

Initially suspecting the TGPSDCL authorities, RTI activist Umesh Kumar clarified that their routine tree pruning was not responsible for this incident. “The manner in which these trees were cut suggests a different hand, done quite roughly,” he added.

Umesh Kumar promptly reported the incident to Forest Range officials, urging them to investigate. “Upon notification, the Divisional Range Officer inspected the site but is yet to identify the perpetrators,” Umesh Kumar mentioned.

Umesh Kumar emphasized the need for strict action against those responsible: “Authorities must enforce stringent measures to prevent illegal tree cutting and should collect fines from perpetrators. Public awareness campaigns are crucial to educate people about the environmental importance of trees and the repercussions of their destruction.”

The RTI activist stressed the need to raise awareness and prevent future incidents, urging authorities to take immediate action.

Know Your Rights, an NGO that aims to make people aware of their rights and support them in their fight for their rights, took to Twitter, tagging relevant officials to bring the tree cutting into the spotlight. The NGO posted: “Many trees are being felled at PS RAO NAGAR, ROAD NO 9A, DAMMAIGUDA. Already, FRO KEESARA & DRO swung into action. @TelanganaCMO, @TelanganaCS, @TelanganaForest, @mc_dammaiguda, @FRO_KEESARA.”