Chevella Banyans Find Resolution

 November 4, 2025

After nearly 6 years of on-the-ground activism, online advocacy, public policy interventions, and legal battles, NHAI commits to save an overwhelming majority of the Banyans (765) in situ, and to shifting about 130 trees to only a few meters away at the National Green Tribunal.

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai passed a historic order this morning, accepting the National Highway Authority of India’s revised road plan while also saving the Chevella Banyans. The new plan will save over 85% of the Banyans (about 765) in their original location, and the remaining 130-odd trees will be moved a few meters away on the Right Of Way (ROW). This was achieved by NHAI officials who modified the project alignment in a manner that retains the Banyans (and other large trees).

The INR 1000 crore NH-163 expansion project will now include the Chevella Banyans as part of their project plan. When the project had begun over 6 years ago, the plan was to translocate/cull 700-odd Banyans, and 200 Banyans were to be left out of the project. Now all the nearly 900 Banyans will be a part of the project plan. About 765 Banyans will be left at their original location. The remaining 130-odd trees will be translocated only a few meters away from their original location, within the ROW, ensuring their preservation and integration with the revised alignment. A good example of the impact of this revised alignment are the nearly 50 additional Banyan trees lining the highway outside the Mudimiyal reserve forest that will be left untouched.

In addition to the Banyans, the Tree Protection Committee and the Forest Department of the Government of Telangana have identified 415 additional large trees that could benefit from the same approach. The NHAI has also agreed to retain untouched other large trees (rain trees, tamarind, etc) that are part of the Banyan stretches, especially where the change in alignment will save such trees.

A key decision by NHAI, as submitted to the NGT in this new order, has been to change their translocation model. Instead of shifting the trees to Mudimiyal, as planned earlier, they will now be moved only a few meters away on to ROW. This will ensure their monitoring/upkeep for upto 7 years as translocated trees, but also as part of the overall tree management project.

The Nature Lovers of Hyderabad, petitioners in this campaign, have also compiled a list of locally sourced native trees that the NHAI have agreed to include in their plantation and compensatory afforestation model for this project.

We thank the Chief Minister Sri Anumula Revanth Reddy and the Parigi MLA T. Ram Mohan Reddy for their efforts to bring this project to a satisfactory conclusion.