Hyderabad: Nearly 239 trees along the Hyderabad–Manneguda stretch of NH 163, earlier marked for felling as part of a highway widening project, are set to get a second lease of life after Hyderabad residents stepped forward to adopt and fund their scientific translocation.The trees, predominantly Peltophorum, were not part of the legal battle to save Chevella’s iconic banyan trees. Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) approved a revised highway alignment that protected 765 of the 915 heritage banyans. Around 150 banyans and 415 non-banyan trees, however, were identified for scientific translocation, while several non-banyan trees continued to be felled as they were outside the scope of the petition.To save as many of the remaining trees as possible, Vata Foundation urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to permit translocation instead of felling. On Friday, the authority approved the relocation of 239 trees but directed that they be removed within seven days, citing the advanced stage of construction.“It is a very short window, as we have to also seek permission from the forest department, begin the trimming process, identify the right location, and also go ahead with the uprooting, transportation and re-rooting all 239 trees within a week. But the response from citizens has been overwhelming. People started volunteering the moment we opened registrations, so we have already begun preparations. The cost of translocation will be borne by the Foundation and the adopters,” said Uday Krishna, founder of Vata Foundation.The Foundation’s online adoption drive quickly drew 17 adopters, including doctors, entrepreneurs and IT professionals. Entrepreneur Nimit Gupta has volunteered to relocate 50 trees to his land in Gandipet.“I never knew such a concept existed. The moment I saw the appeal, I signed up. I wanted to adopt even more because I have the space, but many had already been allocated,” Gupta said.Gachibowli-based businessman Kirti Reddy will relocate 30 trees. Having previously adopted 18 trees during the construction of the Telangana Secretariat, he said development and environmental conservation must go hand in hand.The initiative has also found institutional support. Old Souls Animal Orphanage in Moinabad has agreed to adopt seven trees, while Suhem Sheikh, who runs a yacht club on Hussain Sagar, will relocate a few trees to Moinabad.Krishna said the effort could have saved even more trees had approvals come sooner. “We are distributing the available trees among six or seven adopters for now. Had our request been cleared even a week earlier, many more trees could have been saved,” he said.NHAI officials maintained that the delay was procedural, adding that tree felling had been paused while the proposal was under consideration. “The trees already translocated are showing good survival, and the monsoon is the ideal season for such an exercise,” said C. Sreenivasa Rao, project director, NHAI regional office, Hyderabad.
