‘Save KBR’ protests intensify over tree cutting near national park

Protests under the 'Save KBR' campaign have entered their tenth consecutive day in Hyderabad, opposing tree felling for infrastructure works in and around Ka...

What Happened

Protests under the 'Save KBR' campaign have entered their tenth consecutive day in Hyderabad, opposing tree felling for infrastructure works in and around Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (KBR) National Park — a 142.5-hectare protected green space in the heart of the city.
The controversy centres on the H-CITI project — a ₹930 crore flyover and underpass initiative surrounding the national park — which has involved the felling of 1,532 trees and translocation of 380 others, with activists alleging that mandatory procedural approvals under the Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA), 2002, were bypassed.
Under WALTA, 2002, no tree felling is permitted without prior permission from the designated officer, and for every tree felled, not fewer than two seedlings must be planted (or cost of raising seedlings recovered where planting is not possible).
Construction on the H-CITI project commenced in March 2026 despite pending legal challenges; the High Court refused to grant a stay on 31 March 2026.
Environmentalists warn that the tree felling threatens what functions as Hyderabad's primary urban green lung, degrades wildlife corridors, and sets a precedent for infrastructure development overriding national park protections.

Static Topic Bridges

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — National Park Provisions

A National Park in India is the highest category of protected area under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA). Once declared, a national park is subject to the most stringent restrictions on human activity among all Protected Area categories.

Under Section 35 of WPA, the State Government may by notification declare any area to be a National Park for the purpose of protecting, propagating, or developing wildlife and its environment.
Within a national park, no grazing, no exploitation of forest resources, no construction of commercial tourist lodges, hotels, zoos, or safari parks is permitted without approval of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) — the apex statutory body chaired by the Prime Minister.
Boundary alterations of a national park cannot be made by a state government without a recommendation from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) — a constitutional safeguard against arbitrary reduction of protected areas.
Any diversion of forest land within or adjoining a national park for non-forest use requires clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (now amended as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samridhi) Act, 2023) in addition to WPA compliance.
KBR National Park falls under Schedule IV provisions of the WPA. Infrastructure projects in or adjacent to it trigger mandatory scrutiny by state and central wildlife authorities.

Connection to this news: Infrastructure works for the H-CITI flyover project in the immediate vicinity of KBR National Park — a WPA-protected area — require compliance with the NBWL approval process, Forest Conservation Act clearances, and WALTA permissions. Allegations of bypass go to the heart of the regulatory framework meant to prevent ad hoc erosion of urban protected areas.

Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA), 2002

The Telangana Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 (originally enacted as the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 and adopted by Telangana after bifurcation in 2014) is a state law governing the felling of trees, water resource use, and land management.

WALTA mandates that no tree or branch may be felled without the prior written permission of the designated officer (the Forest Department is the designated authority).
For every tree felled, the obligation is to plant a minimum of two replacement seedlings; where replanting is not feasible, the cost of raising seedlings and maintenance must be recovered.
The Act establishes the State Water, Land and Trees Authority and district-level WALTA Authorities to oversee permissions and compliance.
WALTA applies to trees on both private and public land, making it a broader instrument than forest laws, which are restricted to notified forest areas.
Violations of WALTA tree-felling provisions can attract penalties including fines and restoration orders.

Connection to this news: Activists allege that the felling of 1,532 trees for the H-CITI project was carried out without obtaining mandatory tree-felling permission from the WALTA-designated officer — the specific procedural bypass that forms the legal core of the 'Save KBR' environmental challenge.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Urban Infrastructure

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, mandates prior environmental clearance (EC) for specified development projects before construction begins. Urban infrastructure projects above prescribed thresholds require EC from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) or State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).

EIA Notification 2006 (as amended) categorises projects into Category A (appraised at central level by Expert Appraisal Committees under MoEFCC) and Category B (appraised by state-level SEIAA/SEAC).
Road and highway projects above specified length or area thresholds — particularly those passing through or adjacent to Protected Areas — require environmental clearance and often wildlife clearance from the Standing Committee of NBWL.
The Supreme Court of India has held (in the context of several urban infrastructure controversies) that the precautionary principle must guide decision-making where there is a risk to biodiversity, and the burden of proof lies on the project proponent to demonstrate that environmental harm will not result.
Urban green spaces provide critical ecosystem services: carbon sequestration, urban heat mitigation, stormwater absorption, and habitat for resident and migratory bird species.
India has no legally defined minimum urban green cover standard at the national level, though several city master plans and municipal by-laws specify green space norms; their enforcement is frequently contested.

Connection to this news: The 'Save KBR' campaign's central legal argument is that the mandatory EIA and WALTA approval process was bypassed — the same regulatory framework that exists to prevent exactly the kind of irreversible environmental harm (mass tree felling adjacent to a national park) that has occurred.

Key Facts & Data

KBR National Park area: 142.5 hectares, located in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
H-CITI project cost: ₹930 crore (flyovers and underpasses surrounding the park).
Trees felled: 1,532; trees to be translocated: 380.
WALTA replanting obligation: minimum 2 seedlings per tree felled.
WPA Section 35: governs declaration and protection of National Parks.
Boundary alteration of a national park requires: recommendation of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister; it is the apex statutory body for wildlife-related clearances.
Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (now Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samridhi) Act, 2023): governs diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.
High Court refused stay on H-CITI project construction: 31 March 2026.
'Save KBR' campaign: citizen-led movement active since 2016 against the Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) flyover proposal.