On Wednesday, the Telangana High Court had already issued a temporary order stopping tree cutting and excavation work on the 400-acre land near HCU.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has postponed the hearing of the Kancha Gachibowli land case to April 7, 2025. The case involves a dispute over 400 acres of land, where concerns have been raised regarding encroachments and illegal activities.
On Thursday, April 3, the Telangana High Court conducted a hearing on the case. During this session, the Advocate General (AG) sought additional time to file a counter-affidavit. The court accepted this request and scheduled the next hearing for April 7.
Meanwhile, the court also extended its interim orders, prohibiting any activity on the disputed land until the next hearing.
This hearing was a continuation of arguments presented in Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by the Vata Foundation and students from Hyderabad Central University (HCU). These petitions were submitted to challenge alleged illegal land use and encroachments in the Kancha Gachibowli locality.
A prior hearing took place on April 2, during which the court had instructed a temporary halt on any activity at the site for one day.
Supreme Court On Kancha Gachibowli Tree Felling Case
The Supreme Court has taken serious note of large-scale tree cutting and land clearing on 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, near Hyderabad Central University (HCU). On Thursday, the top court directed the Telangana government to immediately stop all deforestation and excavation work at the site.
A bench of Justices Bhushan R Gavai and AG Masih passed the order after reports revealed that massive tree felling was done over the long weekend.
The court also asked the Registrar (Judicial) of the Telangana High Court to visit the site and submit a status report.
The bench stated in its order: “The news items show that the authorities, taking advantage of long holidays over the weekend, have rushed through in felling the trees. Additionally, the forest is said to be home to eight species of scheduled animals.”
The Supreme Court’s action came after media reports highlighted how authorities cleared large portions of forest land quickly, putting wildlife at risk. Senior advocate K Parameshwar, who is helping the court as amicus curiae in environmental cases, informed the court about the issue.
The top court further directed: “We further direct the Chief Secretary of the State of Telangana to ensure that, until further orders are passed by this Court, no tree felling shall be permitted in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area.”
The report informed the court that a large number of trees had been felled.
The bench questioned the Telangana chief secretary about “the compelling urgency” behind the state’s decision to carry out developmental activities, including tree removal.
Additionally, he was instructed to clarify whether the state had obtained an environmental impact assessment certificate for these activities.
At the same time, the Telangana High Court was also hearing the matter. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Telangana government, informed the Supreme Court that the high court was scheduled to take up the case at 2:15 PM on Thursday.
The Supreme Court clarified that its order does not stop the high court proceedings.
On Wednesday, the Telangana High Court had already issued a temporary order stopping tree cutting and excavation work on the 400-acre land near HCU. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara passed this order after multiple petitions from environmental activists and organizations.
The Vata Foundation ENPO and retired scientist Kalapala Babu Rao have challenged Government Order (GO) 54, which allows the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) to develop the land for IT infrastructure.
The petitioners argue that the land should be a protected ecological zone as it has rich biodiversity, including spotted deer, wild boars, star tortoises, and Indian rock pythons. They also pointed out that the area has two lakes and special rock formations, which makes it eligible to be declared as reserved forest, regardless of government records.
During the high court hearing on Wednesday, senior advocates S Niranjan Reddy and L Ravichandra, representing the petitioners, referred to Supreme Court judgments that say ecological importance should be considered over official land classification when deciding whether an area is forest land. They also criticized the Telangana government for not conducting an environmental impact assessment or seeking expert opinion before allowing deforestation.
On the other hand, the Telangana Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy argued that the land was always meant for commercial purposes. He stated that its allocation dates back to the Nizam era and was later transferred to IMG Bharatha in 2003. The government maintains that the planned IT development is part of Telangana’s infrastructure expansion plan.
The large-scale tree cutting has led to massive protests by students and environmental activists. Students of the University of Hyderabad (HCU) and various political student organizations, including Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Left-wing groups, have joined the movement.
On April 2, some protestors tried to enter the university campus but were stopped by the police.
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