19 killed : Whom to blame - Killer Chevella road, Tipper driver or Banyan trees?

The TSRTC bus (No. TS 34 TA 6354) belonging to the Tandur depot, was operating the H003 service from Tandur to Hyderabad, scheduled to leave at 4:40 a.m., with around 70 passengers onboard.

At about 6:15 a.m., near Indirareddy Nagar, close to Chevella, the bus driven by Dastagiri (Badge No. 6006, age 37) and conductor Radha (Badge No. 273671) was hit head-on by a Tipper (No. TG 06 T 3879) coming from the opposite direction at high speed.

The impact was so severe that both drivers, the bus driver Dastagiri, and the tipper driver Kamle Akash from Maharashtra, died on the spot, along with 17 passengers who were crushed or trapped in the wreckage. Several others sustained serious injuries and were shifted to Vikarabad and Hyderabad hospitals.

According to eyewitnesses and police reports, the tipper, heavily loaded with gravel (kankar), was overtaking several vehicles and swerved sharply to the right to avoid a pothole, ramming straight into the bus. The collision impact and load weight caused catastrophic damage, leaving little time for passengers to react.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivdhar Reddy to ensure immediate medical assistance and relief. However, while the administration responded swiftly to the emergency, the public’s frustration was unmistakable, this was not an isolated accident.

Locals say the Chevella road has turned into a corridor of constant tragedy, and the reasons lie far deeper than one truck, one bus, or one bad turn.

A Highway Stuck Between Heritage and Neglect

The Chevella–Vikarabad highway is among the busiest routes connecting western Telangana to Hyderabad. It was sanctioned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for widening and strengthening in 2021.

Clearances came in 2022, tenders in 2023, but since late that year, work has been frozen.

The reason: a row over a 46-km stretch lined with hundreds of old banyan trees, many believed to be over a century old. Environmental groups approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in November 2023 to protect the trees from felling.

The Tribunal stayed all construction and ordered an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a revised design that would preserve the trees while allowing development. Nearly a year and a half later, that EIA is still pending. With no approved plan, the NGT has kept all permissions on hold, leaving the road half-maintained, overcrowded, and crumbling.

“This Accident Is the Answer We Didn’t Want”

BRS National Media Panelist Karthik Indra Reddy Patlolla, who has tracked the issue, said the tragedy was entirely preventable.

“This incident is a perfect answer to what we’ve been warning about. The Chevella Highway was sanctioned in 2021 and cleared in 2022. But in 2023, work was stopped when the NGT stayed the project to protect the banyans and demanded an Environmental Impact Study. It’s been more than a year and a half and there’s been no progress.

“The government has shown zero urgency. The NGT has now kept all permissions on hold till a proper plan is submitted. When we raise our voice, they either attack or dismiss us. Who takes responsibility now?” He added.

His anger echoes that of many locals who see the road as a daily risk, one that successive governments have promised to fix, but none have delivered.

The Banyan Tree Controversy

The banyan trees of Chevella are not just foliage, they’re part of the region’s natural and cultural identity. The long canopy they form on either side of the road is beloved by environmentalists, photographers, and residents alike.

However, their thick roots and trunks have narrowed the usable carriageway, forcing heavy vehicles to swerve dangerously close to the center. Some argue the issue lies not with the trees, but with poor planning and lack of safety measures.

Smrithi Ainavolu, a member of The Banyan Society, said “People keep saying the trees cause accidents, but that’s not true. The trees have been here for decades. The problem is that no one maintains the road. There are no reflectors, no crash barriers, and no proper markings. The answer isn’t to destroy heritage, but to design intelligently, realign, manage traffic, enforce speed limits, and maintain the surface.”

The debate has split public opinion, between those who see the trees as an obstacle, and those who see them as victims of bureaucratic neglect.

Experts Point to Deeper Failures

Dr. Donthi Narasimha Reddy, a public policy expert, believes the focus on widening the road misses the real issues.

“This was a 20-tonne Tipper. The driver may have been overworked, that’s one possible cause. Preliminary reports say the tipper rammed the bus after trying to avoid a pothole. So both driver fatigue and road condition are major factors. People keep saying wider roads will prevent accidents, but that’s not necessarily true. The real problem is driver condition, vehicle maintenance, and road quality. These three must be addressed together.”

His words highlight the absence of a holistic approach to road safety, where human fatigue, vehicle standards, and road maintenance collide in fatal ways.

“One of the Most Dangerous Roads in India”

For those who use the stretch daily, fear is routine.

Uday Krishna, Founding Trustee of the Vata Foundation, said “This is probably the most dangerous road in India right now. Ironically, the place where this accident happened doesn’t even have many trees. It was early morning, the driver might’ve been working all night and tried to overtake on the wrong side. The gravel inside the bus shows he was speeding. Road widening may help, and I’ve heard the NGT cleared the case this morning, so hopefully work begins soon. But cones in the middle of the road aren’t enough. I use this route often, accidents happen almost every day, especially at night. It’s high time the work starts so we don’t see another morning like this.”

The Victims and the Injured

The collision claimed 19 lives, including both drivers and several students, families, and elderly passengers. Among the deceased were:
• Dasyam Nagamani (55) from Gulbarga
• Tara Bai (45) from Vikarabad
• Thabussam Jahan (38) from Tandur
• Gurrala Akhila (22), a student from Yalal Mandal
• Panugula Kalpana (45) and Gogula Gunamma (60) from Borabonda, Hyderabad
• Shaik Kalad Hussain (76) and Taliya Begum from Tandur
• A 10-month-old baby girl
• Nandini (18), Sai Priya (MBA 2nd Year), and Thanusha (Degree Final Year) — three sisters from Tandur
• Muskan, a young girl from Tandur
• Bus driver Dastagiri (35) and Tipper driver Kamle Akash
• Kudugunta Bandappa (42) of Hazipura village

Over 30 passengers were injured, several seriously. At Vikarabad and PMR hospitals, the injured included students, drivers, police personnel, and the bus conductor Radha, many suffering fractures, rib injuries, and head trauma.

What Makes This Road So Dangerous

Experts and residents point to recurring issues:
1. Degraded Surface and Potholes: Years of neglect have left the road cracked and uneven.
2. Driver Fatigue and Overspeeding: Early morning schedules and long hours cause lapses in focus.
3. Mixed Traffic and Narrow Lanes: Heavy trucks and two-wheelers share the same corridor with no dividers.
4. Poor Lighting and Missing Infrastructure: Few streetlights or reflectors, only temporary cones.
5. Stalled Development: The NGT stay left the road half-maintained and highly accident-prone.

A Pattern of Fatal Accidents

This tragedy follows a string of crashes along the Chevella–Vikarabad stretch over the last decade. Locals recall numerous accidents near Aloor Gate, Moinabad, and Chevella, often with delayed rescue due to poor connectivity and lack of emergency infrastructure.

Despite protests and petitions, basic safety features such as lane markings, crash barriers, and rumble strips remain missing.

A Stalemate That Costs Lives

The Chevella road has become symbolic of a larger policy dilemma, where environmental protection, infrastructure planning, and administrative paralysis collide. The banyan trees deserve conservation; the commuters deserve safety. Yet, between government departments, the NHAI, and the NGT process, the road remains stuck in bureaucratic limbo.

Until the state submits the Environmental Impact Assessment and the NGT lifts its stay, construction cannot proceed, and the road will continue claiming lives.

The Way Forward

Experts recommend immediate, low-cost interventions:
• Fill potholes and resurface damaged patches.
• Install lane reflectors, signage, and rumble strips.
• Enforce speed limits and driver rest regulations.
• Deploy night highway patrols.
• Create a joint committee with environmentalists to finalize a tree-preservation–plus–road-safety plan.

Long-term, Telangana’s road development and environmental protection must be seen not as opposing forces, but as shared responsibilities for saving both lives and heritage.