Hyderabad: Tensions flared at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) after students alleged that authorities used earthmovers to fell trees overnight. This was done to get ready for the Vanamahotsavam event. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is expected to attend on Monday. The students shared videos showing heavy machinery on campus and questioned the need to remove existing trees for a tree-planting initiative.

Students protest, police deny allegations

Viral videos from Saturday night showed students facing off with police near where earthmovers were working. "Why cut down healthy trees just to plant new ones? This makes no sense," said a protesting student who feared the move was linked to broader land-use changes on campus.

The Rajendranagar police denied the claims. They said only "bushes and unwanted vegetation" were cleared to prepare the grounds. "No major trees were cut. This is routine work ahead of the event," a police official said, urging students not to misinterpret the activity.

Environmental groups such as Vata Foundation want transparency. They have also questioned the tree-felling drive. "When will our leaders walk the talk? Once again, the government chooses a Saturday to clean up greenery under the cover of darkness and with police protection” questioned Vata Foundation from their official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

Replacing invasive species with native Telangana flora: PJTAU

In a statement released by PJTAU University, Vice Chancellor Professor Aldas Janaiah said that the campus has been filled up with invasive weeds likes Lantana, Parthenium, Prosophis Juliflora (Sarkar thumma) etc., causing severe environmental damage to the campus. Further, other exotic species like Eucalyptus and Subabul are found profusely on the campus with no space for valuable native tree species of Telangana, These species are being removed to make space for the new and valuable plantations.

In order to revive the traditional native plants of Telangana, a massive plantation drive is being taken up in the campus starting from the Botanical Garden which has been badly neglected for the past fifteen (15) years. Around 30 native timber, wild fruit and wild, flower bearing tree species along with a wide variety of bamboo varieties are being planted to revive and rejuvenate the Botanical Garden.

In the coming days, around 150 acres of old trees of Eucalyptus and Subabul species will be removed, making space for the plantation of valuable timber-yielding varieties in the campus as part of the Vana Mahotsavam.

In the 150 acres of old Eucalyptus and Subabul sites, since last one month, removal of such trees is being taken up by ITC Company on tenders called by the PJTAU for their removal. The tree extraction and removal have been going on for the last one (1) month for creating space for the upcoming new traditional Telangana native species plantations.