Supreme Court Today (July 23) criticized Telangana for cutting down thousands of trees in Kancha Gachibowli. Court said development doesn’t mean destroying forests with bulldozers overnight.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India strongly criticized the Telangana State Government for cutting down trees in a forest area of Kancha Gachibowli, Hyderabad.
The Court made it clear that while development is necessary, it cannot come at the cost of destroying forests so suddenly and carelessly.
A special Bench consisting of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice Vinod Chandran, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a suo motu (on its own) case. This case started after reports of large-scale tree cutting in Kancha Gachibowli village came to light.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Gavai said:
“I am an advocate of sustainable development. But that does not mean employ 30 bulldozers overnight and destroy all forest land.”
Earlier in May, the same Bench had issued a warning to the Telangana government.
The Court made it clear that if the government did not take steps to restore the forest cover, strict action would follow.
The CJI had then stated:
“It is up to the State whether it wants to restore the forest or not. The entire issue was that the benefit of a long weekend was taken and thousands of trees were felled. Anyways, State has to decide whether to restore the forest or be prepared for its officers to be sent to jail.”
The controversial tree cutting happened on a large 400-acre plot in Kancha Gachibowli. The Telangana government planned to auction this land through the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). The goal was to develop new IT infrastructure in the area.
However, several citizens and environmental activists strongly opposed this plan. They pointed out that the land is actually forest land and also falls within an eco-sensitive zone. Many argued that the area is like the “lungs” of Hyderabad and must be protected.
Students from the nearby University of Hyderabad also joined the protests. Some of these protests even led to clashes with the police when authorities tried to clear the land for development.
On April 3, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the issue and passed an interim order to stop any further cutting of trees.
The Court then asked the Telangana government to explain if there was any urgent reason for such sudden and large-scale development activity. The Court also asked whether proper permissions had been taken before removing trees from the forest land.
To get a clear and expert report on the situation, the Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to visit the site personally and submit a detailed report. The CEC helps the Supreme Court in complex environmental matters.
Later, on April 16, during another hearing, the Supreme Court clearly said it was ready to go out of its way to protect India’s natural environment. The Bench ordered a blanket status quo, which means all tree cutting and construction work on the 400-acre land must stop immediately.
ALSO READ: Kancha Gachibowli Row: Why Students and Environmentalists Are Taking a Stand
- Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared on behalf of the Telangana government.
- Senior Advocate K Parameshwar was appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist the Court in this sensitive environmental case.
CASE TITLE:
In Re: Kancha Gachibowli Forest, State of Telangana
SMW(C) No. 3/2025 (and connected case)
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