Telangana High Court Questions State on Steps Taken to Protect Greenery

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday asked if the Telangana state government had devised any mechanism or made any provision to protect the greenery to maintain ecological balance in the state, especially in the urban areas.

The Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti directed additional advocate-general Mohd. Imran Khan to inform the court about the government’s plan by Thursday or July 4.

The Bench’s directions came on Tuesday while it was dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by K. Pratap Reddy, complaining that the state government and local bodies have failed to provide adequate green spaces like parks or recreational areas for people.

Calling it violation of fundamental rights, the petitioner requested the court to direct authorities to maintain existing green spaces and find more areas to create additional green space.

Gorantla Sri Ranga Pujitha, the counsel for the petitioner, submitted that indiscriminate felling of trees in the rural and urban areas of the state has led to erratic rainfalls, recurring famines and floods, soil erosion and consequent ecological disturbances.

The Bench commented that the people living in cities are moving into concrete jungle and there is a need for parks and greenery.

Citing Karnataka’s law on the preservation of trees, the Chief Justice said the state must bring the provision to preserve the existing greenery and to ensure the new greenery and to maintain them properly.