Telangana HC Halts Work At Kancha Gachibowli, Centre Demands Report On 'Illegal' Land Clearing — Updates
Kancha Gachibowli Project: As concerns over deforestation mount, the Union Environment Ministry formally wrote to Telangana government, seeking an immediate factual report on the situation.
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday ordered a temporary halt to all development activities on the controversial 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli land parcel near the University of Hyderabad (UoH) until April 3. Meanwhile, the Union Environment Ministry has stepped in, demanding a detailed report on the alleged illegal clearing of vegetation in the ecologically sensitive region.
High Court Steps In
In Telangana HC, a bench led by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara issued the interim order in response to multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed against the Telangana government’s plan to auction the land for urban infrastructure and an IT Park. Petitioners argued that the large-scale clearing of trees was a violation of environmental laws, including the Forest Conservation Act and the Water, Land, and Trees Act (WALTA), as per a report on PTI.
Advocate S Niranjan Reddy, representing the petitioners, pointed out that tree felling was continuing unchecked despite the environmental concerns. He called the deforestation an "ecological disaster" and urged the court to demand satellite images from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) to assess the destruction.
However, Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy, representing the state, countered that the allegations were based on Google images, which are not legally admissible. He further claimed that the land had always been designated for industrial use and was not part of the UoH campus.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for April 3, directing that all development work remain suspended until further review.
Centre Demands Report
As concerns over deforestation mount, the Union Environment Ministry formally wrote to Telangana government, seeking an immediate factual report on the situation. The ministry has also instructed the state’s additional chief secretary (forests) to take legal action under relevant environmental laws.
The Centre’s letter cited reports of widespread deforestation, destruction of wildlife habitats and damage to rock formations in Kancha Gachibowli.
Protests Escalate, Police Lathicharge
The land dispute has sparked widespread protests led by students, faculty members, and environmentalists. Demonstrators staged a march against the project near UoH on Wednesday, demanding the preservation of the land. However, tensions escalated as police allegedly resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd, as per reports.
Despite the backlash, the Telangana government remains firm on its plan to auction the land, which is expected to generate Rs 15,000 crore in revenue. A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office claimed that revenue records confirm the land is government-owned and not classified as forest land.
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