TG skeptical of Pawan’s stand on axing Conocarpus

NAVEENA GHANATE
In Telangana, Conocarpus trees have been a frequent topic of discussion in the meetings of the forest department after Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan ordered the removal of these trees, citing environmental concerns.
Hyderabad is filled with Conocarpus trees, raising questions about their long-term impact on urban ecosystems. Conocarpus is banned in Telangana, but the State government is indecisive about axing the existing ones. Top sources in the forest department said that the entire capital city, medians and footpaths have Conocarpus, “but what we don’t have is concrete evidence to go about with mass axing”.
Sources indicate that while there is growing concern over the environmental effects of these trees, officials are hesitant to proceed with large-scale removal without written, factual evidence to present to environmentalists and possibly the courts. Top sources in Forest Ministry said, “We need to have concrete scientific data to support any legal or environmental action against Conocarpus, or else it will be difficult to make a strong case”.
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Gujarat banned Conocarpus as the exotic tree’s roots on telecommunication cables, drains and freshwater pipelines are posing a risk to infrastructure. Furthermore, it draws attention to the adverse effects of the species’ pollen, which can lead to colds, coughs, asthma and allergies among individuals, particularly during winter.
In Andhra, the felling of trees taken up by Dy CM was challenged in the State High Court on August 24 by social activist Vallamreddy Laxman Reddy, who heads an NGO, Jana Chaitanya Vedika, and two botanical scientists – K Bayyapu Reddy, a retired botany and environmental professor of Acharya Nagarjuna University and Attipalli Ramachandra Reddy, a professor of plant sciences of the University of Hyderabad. They argued that the adverse impact of Conocarpus trees to the environment and humans has not been scientifically proven yet and the government should stop felling of such trees. Kakinada City alone witnessed felling of 35,000 trees
Despite the hesitation to remove them across Hyderabad, officials and public representatives, including some MLAs, have already started removing Conocarpus trees from their private properties, signalling that the concerns over the plant may be more serious than initially thought. These actions come amid worries that the trees, originally introduced for their rapid growth and aesthetic appeal, could have detrimental effects on local biodiversity and groundwater levels due to their high water consumption and invasive root systems.