HYDERABAD: The most popular green agitation currently happening in the city is ‘Save Banyans of Chevella’ form past four years as a 20-member group is striving hard to preserve 914 banyan trees planted along the Chevella-Vikarabad road. The trees are in danger of getting uprooted, as the highway is soon to be widened as a four-way highway.
Nature photographer Anand Vishwanadha, who brought out this agitation with his group, says “I have total and absolute conviction that we should save each and every one of the 914 road-lining banyans, and that we must let them stay rooted there and let them grow in peace. We need to find ways to make it happen.”
The ‘Save Banyans of Chevella’ initiative is a much-discussed topic amongst environmentalists to support which, hundreds of citizens from Hyderabad joined the movement physically and on social media.
Anand who identifies as hearing impaired, is a poet and an environmentalist. With an immense knowledge about biodiversity he has taken up this challenge of saving these trees.
Prof Usha Raman, a Professor at University of Hyderabad, and a member of this group, mentioned, “This citizens group, documented and photographed 914 endangered banyans, each of these trees are now Geo-Tagged. The Geo-tagging was done by 20 volunteers collectively putting in over 200 hours over four days in the course of two weeks, which involved marking the GPS location of each tree.
“Anand Vishwanadha, initially came up with this idea to the group regarding the Banyans of Chevella and we all worked on it, he has a deep knowledge about nature and the bio diversity,” she added.
“Our demand is for the state government to leave this stretch of highway with 914 banyans as a natural heritage. Chopping off an entire species corridor of 914 trees would cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem., “ she said adding that they have called on the State government with over 62,000 signatories to protect the trees, as habitat and heritage, by rethinking the planned highway along this route.”
