Citizens’ group geo-tags trees around KBR National Park

In a repeat of the exercise carried out for the banyan trees on National Highway 163 in Chevella, citizens and activists in the ‘Save KBR’ collective have geo-tagged each and every tree remaining on the roads surrounding the KBR National Park.

They released the map with geo-tagged locations of all trees, by identifying each individual tree with serial number, geo-coordinates, species, age and the date of geo-tagging.

As per a statement released by the collective, a total of 672 trees were geo-tagged through a three-day exercise undertaken by a team of 15 citizen-volunteers led by Natasha Ramarathnam, a tree lover and development consultant.

“Every standing tree on the medians around KBR National Park was individually documented with precise GPS coordinates, assigned a unique identification number, and identified by species before being plotted onto a map which has now been placed in public domain,” the statement read.

“While we cannot bring back the trees already felled, it is critical to scientifically document the trees that still remain. Once these trees are mapped and enumerated, monitoring and protecting them becomes far more effective,” said Ms. Ramarathnam, explaining the end.

The exercise was undertaken in the wake of the Supreme Court’s stay order on May 18, 2026 halting further tree felling in 25-35 metres vicinity of the park, which the collective is seeking to be declared as the Eco Sensitive Zone.

The stay was granted in response to a petition filed by Kaajal Maheshwari, a conservationist, after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation went ahead with the tree felling to facilitate construction of six flyovers and six underpasses around the park as part of the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure project.

A case was already pending for six years before the Telangana High Court, which had earlier stayed the works based on the petition filed by Ms.Maheshwari disputing the Forest department’s claim that public hearing was conducted before the final ESZ notification was issued.

GHMC got permission for felling a total of 1,532 trees, and translocating 380 trees. Only 30 trees are to be retained as per the Hyderabad District Tree Protection Committee’s orders.

A similar exercise was undertaken for the first time four years ago, to geo-tag close to 900 banyans on the Chevella-Manneguda route, after several of them were mutilated by local people in order to remove hindrances to the road expansion project.