Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, April 2 ordered a temporary halt to tree felling at Survey No 25, Kancha Gachibowli land.
This comes in response to public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Vata Foundation and students of Hyderabad Central University (HCU). The court directed authorities to cease work on the land until tomorrow, April 3, when the next hearing is scheduled.
The petitioners have urged the court to declare the Kancha Gachibowli lands as a national park, citing ecological and environmental concerns.
Advocate L Ravishankar, representing HCU, argued that the Telangana government had issued GO 54 in June last year, under which 400 acres of government land were allocated to the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). He emphasized that even though it is government land, the authorities must comply with Supreme Court rulings that mandate environmental assessments before clearing such areas.
The court was told that the University of Hyderabad land has many species of animals, plants, mushroom rocks and buffalo and peacock lakes. The division bench had adjourned the hearing to April 7 and had issued notices to the respondents of the state government and TGIIC to file the counter in 10 days.
On behalf of the state government, Advocate General (AG) Sudarshan Reddy defended the allocation of land, arguing that it was not a forest area. He explained that in 2004, the land was handed over to IMG Academy, which failed to utilize it as per the agreement, leading to the government’s cancellation of the allocation.
He further argued that accepting the petitioners’ demand would mean halting all development projects across Hyderabad, as many urban areas have wildlife presence. “If we follow the petitioners’ logic, no construction should happen anywhere in Hyderabad,” he stated.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the High Court directed the authorities to halt all work on the land until tomorrow, April 3.
Protest intensify against Kancha Gachibowli land auction
Protests have escalated over the past three weeks following the Telangana government’s March 3 announcement to auction the Kancha Gachibowli land. The move has sparked strong opposition from student groups, environmental activists, and civil society members, who argue that the planned development will have severe environmental consequences.
Their primary concerns include the loss of green cover, destruction of wildlife habitats, and disruption of the local ecosystem.
The situation intensified further on April 2, when a teachers’ march in solidarity with the protesting students turned confrontational. A scuffle broke out between students and police near the UoH campus, leading to chaotic scenes. Protesters alleged that the police used excessive force to disperse them, with videos surfacing online showing police personnel chasing students with lathis.
JCBs enter HCU
Videos are circulating online showing a large number of JCBs moving into the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) area, reportedly to remove trees.
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