Police detain volunteers protesting tree felling near Hyderabad’s KBR National Park

Four volunteers who had been protesting the histrion felling astir the KBR National Park successful Hyderabad person been detained by the police, and are reportedly waiting astatine the Banjara Hills Police Station.

According to sources, a fewer volunteers noticed histrion felling enactment successful the wee hours of Wednesday (May 13, 2026), and asked the workers progressive to stop, saying it was amerciable to fell trees. When the workers did not yield, they reportedly formed a quality concatenation astir the tree, and stalled the workers for immoderate time.

“At astir 3 a.m., the volunteers dispersed and headed for their homes. A person, Durga Prasad, crossing the roadworthy was accosted by the constabulary aft the histrion felling workers identified him, and taken to the constabulary station,” a unpaid said.

After the quality spread, 3 much volunteers — who went to the constabulary presumption successful the greeting — were besides detained allegedly aft a heated statement with the police. One of the three, Vijay Mallangi, is an biology activist, portion the names of the different 2 are not known.

“The constabulary is levelling mendacious allegations, saying the volunteers demanded wealth from the histrion cutters. This is outrageous. Why would they request wealth from histrion cutters?” the unpaid asked. While nary accusation is forthcoming from the police, it was learnt that the constabulary was successful the process of booking cases against the detainees.

A motley radical of residents and biology activists person risen up against the histrion felling — astir the National Park — taken up to marque mode for 7 flyovers and 7 underpasses arsenic portion of the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure project.

While the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is claiming that the trees successful the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the parkland are not touched, a lawsuit is already pending successful the High Court disputing the ESZ fixed without nationalist hearing. Activists are claiming that the enactment was started earlier the tribunal vacated the enactment connected the project. Several protests person taken spot adjacent the parkland nether the ‘Save KBR Park’ banner, including candle airy vigils and quality chains astir the park.