NGT on Monday gives go-ahead to widening of road where lorry-bus accident occurred

In a strange instance of coincidence, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has passed orders on Monday (November 3, 2025), giving a go-ahead for widening of the National Highway 163 between Moinabad in Ranga Reddy district and Manneguda in Vikarabad district, the stretch where the horrific accident occurred on the same day after a lorry rammed into a Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus.

The road widening from two lanes to six lanes has been stalled for eight years now due to a case filed in the NGT by city based environmentalists for saving over 900 banyan trees scheduled to be axed by the National Highways Authority of India for facilitating the road widening.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had been adamant on its stance for all these years, till the NGT kept in abeyance, the recommendation by the Environmental Appraisal Committee under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and ordered a comprehensive study to save the banyan trees in March, 2025.

A compromise has been worked out recently between the petitioners and NHAI with intervention from the Pargi MLA T. Ram Mohan Reddy, whereby NHAI agreed to modify the highway design to accommodate in-situ protection of 765 banyan trees, and translocation of 130-odd banyans to the shoulder of the highway after widening.

However, a large number of the trees had to face the wrath of the local people meanwhile who had set them afire on the sly to get rid of them. Similarly, fatal accidents took place on the tortuous road claiming a number of lives, leading to bitter protests by local people.

While the NGT order was yet to be delivered, Mr.Ram Mohan Reddy organised a press conference on Saturday to declare that the apex green court had passed a favourable order on Saturday. The final order was passed only on Monday morning, as the city was grappling with the news about the ghastly accident.

Road design modification to save trees

As part of the compromise, NHAI reportedly modified the road design by reducing the median width in order to save the trees, besides tweaking the gradient at a few locations. The road presently does not have a median, which is one reason why the truck laden with gravel hit the bus while overtaking another vehicle.

“In our reply to the affidavit filed by NHAI, we requested for retention of 400-plus other species of trees on the stretch where the banyan trees would be retained. Also, we asked for inclusion of civil society representatives on the monitoring committee to be constituted to oversee the road widening project,” Tejah Balantrapu, a co-petitioner informed.