SC Puts Brake on Tree Felling Near KBR Park Over Eco Zone Concerns

The Supreme Court on Monday stepped into the escalating controversy surrounding tree felling near Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, restraining authorities from cutting trees within the eco-sensitive zone around the park and reigniting the debate over Hyderabad’s infrastructure expansion versus environmental conservation.

A bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed that no tree felling should take place within the existing 25–35 metre eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) surrounding the national park until further orders. The apex court also issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Telangana government, and other authorities while hearing a petition filed by environmental activist Kaajal Maheshwari .

Maheshwari approached the Supreme Court after the Telangana High Court declined to grant interim relief against the reduction of the eco-sensitive zone around KBR Park. Her plea challenged the state government’s decision to reduce the ESZ from the earlier 25–35 metres to as little as 3 metres in certain stretches , arguing that such a move defeats the purpose of maintaining a protective ecological buffer around a sensitive forest area.

The dispute dates back to 2015, when the Telangana government proposed major infrastructure works under the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) to ease traffic congestion around Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills. The project involved construction of flyovers, grade separators, underpasses, and road widening works near the park. Authorities later incorporated these plans into the broader H-CITI infrastructure initiative .

According to estimates presented during earlier proceedings, the project could require the felling of more than 1,300 trees , though activists claim revised plans may affect nearly 2,000 trees around the KBR stretch. Petitioners also alleged before the Supreme Court that construction activity and preparations for tree cutting were continuing despite pending litigation.

Environmentalists and residents strongly oppose the proposed tree removal, describing KBR National Park as Hyderabad’s vital “green lung.” They warn that large-scale loss of mature trees could worsen the city’s rising temperatures, increase the urban heat island effect, reduce biodiversity, and weaken one of Hyderabad’s last major urban green spaces.

The case has now evolved into a wider debate over Hyderabad’s urban planning priorities. While the government argues that flyovers are essential to reduce traffic congestion and vehicular pollution, conservation groups maintain that long-term solutions should focus more on public transport, sustainable mobility, and preservation of urban ecology.

The Supreme Court’s interim order has temporarily halted tree felling around KBR Park until the next hearing scheduled for July 27.