Give details on saplings planted: HC

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad high court on Saturday directed the engineer-in-chief of Telangana’s roads and buildings (R&B) department to furnish details of the number of saplings planted and nurtured as part of compensatory afforestation in lieu of the trees felled for expansion of roads and other developmental works across the state.
The Bench of Chief Justice TB Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhatt gave this direction while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) questioning the negligent attitude of R&B officials in growing trees despite felling a huge number of trees while expanding the Ibrahimpatnam-Nagarjunasagar national highway.
“By compensatory afforestation, we mean growing five times the number of trees you have felled, not beautification works you are taking up in the middle of the highways”, the Bench, said echoing the grievance of the petitioner, T Rajanikanth Reddy, who expressed concern over the reduction of green cover by the actions of officials.
The Bench posted the case to next week. Both the engineer-in-chief and Nalgonda divisional forest officer were present in court.
The court dispensed with the presence of the ENC for the next hearing but directed the DFO to be present.