Now Reading: Hyderabad residents protest as HMDA fells 50 trees at Paigah Palace
-
01
Hyderabad residents protest as HMDA fells 50 trees at Paigah Palace
Residents around the 125-year-old Paigah Palace in Hyderabad's Begumpet are protesting after the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) cut down nearly 50 trees inside the heritage campus. The palace is being renovated…
Residents around the 125-year-old Paigah Palace in Hyderabad's Begumpet are protesting after the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) cut down nearly 50 trees inside the heritage campus. The palace is being renovated to house the authority's new headquarters.
A resident said trees were felled between August 22 and August 24. Another noted that birds, including peacocks that once lived there, have left. Residents said they were not given a chance to object, and questioned why the US Consulate had operated there for years without disturbing the greenery. HMDA claimed most felled trees had shown no growth, some were relocated, and the work had all required permissions, including forest clearance.
The palace was leased to the US in 2008, and 42 trees were cut then for security work, drawing criticism. The consulate moved out in 2023, and the Telangana government approved HMDA's shift to the palace in March 2024. Residents said the grounds served as a green lung for nearly 1,000 families.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Paigah Palace, built around 1900, is a Grade I heritage structure under the Hyderabad Heritage Conservation Committee, which means any alteration requires prior approval from the committee. The previous tree-felling in 2008 for the US Consulate also triggered a public outcry and legal challenges, but no clear policy prevented it. What is at stake now is the loss of a rare green buffer in a dense commercial-residential zone of Begumpet, an area already suffering from poor air quality and traffic congestion. The HMDA's claim of having forest clearance will be tested if residents approach the National Green Tribunal, which has set a precedent in 2023 by imposing heavy fines on government agencies for unauthorised tree-felling in Hyderabad. The next signal to watch is whether the heritage committee or the forest department issues a show-cause notice to HMDA.
Source: siasat.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
