Hyderabad's traffic corridor plan draws fire over tree felling near KBR Park

Environmentalists in Hyderabad are questioning the cost of the city's ambitious traffic management plans around KBR National Park, with concerns mounting over the scale of tree felling required for the project. According to environmental advocates, approximately 2,000 trees have been cleared in the vicinity of the protected area to make way for elevated corridors, flyovers, and underpass construction.

The infrastructure initiative, designed to ease traffic flow in one of the city's congested zones, has drawn opposition from conservation groups who argue that the environmental toll may outweigh the traffic benefits. The work involves multiple infrastructure components spanning the area surrounding the national park, a green lung in the heart of the metropolitan region.

The project highlights the ongoing tension between urban development and environmental preservation in India's rapidly growing cities. Officials have promoted the corridor plan as essential for managing Hyderabad's expanding traffic challenges, while environmentalists contend that alternative solutions with lower ecological impact should have been prioritized.

The dispute underscores broader concerns about infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive areas, with stakeholders calling for greater scrutiny of development proposals near protected spaces and enhanced mitigation measures to minimize environmental damage during urban growth initiatives.