‘No question of backing down’: Telangana CM on Kancha Gachibowli land row

Hyderabad: The Telangana chief minister, A Revanth Reddy, made it clear that his government will fight tooth and nail to secure the 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli land, adjacent to the University of Hyderabad.

“There is no question of the state government backing down on its plan to establish an IT Knowledge Park. We will go to any length to secure the land. Around 10 lakh IT jobs can be created,” he said while inaugurating the much-awaited Shilpa Layout Phase 2 flyover at Gachibowli on Saturday, June 28.

The controversy over the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli land began escalating after the Telangana government announced plans to auction the land for industrial and infrastructure development. The area, located near the UoH, is known for its ecological importance, including unique rock formations, dense green cover, and habitats supporting species like the Indian Peafowl, civets, and monitor lizards.

On April 2, the Telangana High Court intervened, ordering a temporary halt to tree felling on the disputed land following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Vata Foundation and students of UoH.

The petitioners urged the court to declare the area a national park, citing irreparable ecological damage. Advocate L Ravishankar, representing UoH, argued that although the land is government-owned, environmental clearance and biodiversity assessment were legally necessary before any clearing work could proceed.

The situation intensified further when videos emerged showing JCBs clearing trees near the UoH campus. Protests by students, teachers, and environmental activists escalated, with a teachers’ solidarity march on April 2 turning confrontational.

Later, the state government formed a ministerial committee, including deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and IT Minister Sridhar Babu, to meet with representatives from UoH and civil society. While the committee promised to review the cases filed against students and consider their concerns, it stated that no surveys could be permitted until further court orders due to the ongoing Supreme Court proceedings.

On April 3, the Supreme Court also took up the matter and issued an interim stay on tree felling in the area. It directed the Telangana High Court Registrar to submit an on-ground report and asked the state Chief Secretary to ensure compliance with the order.

Recently, an updated satellite image on Google Maps has drawn public attention to the scale of environmental degradation of Kancha Gachibowli land, a once-thriving green stretch on the outskirts of Hyderabad.