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Forest department faces allegations over missing land in Mrugavani National Park

mrugavani national park

Hyderabad/Chilkur: According to recent allegations, Eighty hectares of land from Mrugavani National Park is missing. The park, owned by the forest department, is one of the city’s three national parks. This revelation emerged during a National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing about illegal power supply line towers in Mrugavani Park, also known as Chilkur Deer Park.

Forest department’s surprising admission

During the hearing, the forest department admitted the park’s area is only 287 hectares, not the 360 hectares listed in the official gazette. Officials attributed the 22.5% land loss to different techniques for surveying, mapping, and area estimating.

Green experts dispute the forest department’s explanation, stating a nearly one-fourth shrinkage is impossible due to a change in technique. “A 20% land loss is unprecedented and requires an independent inquiry,” one expert said. Experts urged the National Board on Wildlife to investigate the reasons behind the shrinkage, specifically under section 35(5) of the National Wildlife Act.

NGT imposes penalty on TS Transco

In a recent significant order, the NGT’s Chennai bench imposed a ₹50 lakh penalty on TS Transco. The penalty was for deviating from the gazette-approved plan by installing high-tension quad towers instead of approved monopoles in Mrugavani National Park.

The NGT ruled the penalty would fund improvements in Mrugavani Park and increase tree cover in the Chilkur reserved forest area. However, the NGT refused to order the replacement of unapproved quad towers, citing potential power supply disruptions. The transmission lines run along the Outer Ring Road, and quad poles occupy more space than monopoles.

The missing 80 hectares from Mrugavani National Park have raised serious concerns. Experts demand an independent investigation, while the NGT’s penalty aims to mitigate some of the environmental impacts.

 

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