Large swathes of vegetation inside the secluded area in the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, near the Mushroom Rock, was cleared using heavy machinery.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
Notwithstanding petitions, protests and public appeals against the measure, the Telangana government is forging ahead with its decision to auction 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli through the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC).
Eyewitnesses report that large swathes of vegetation inside the secluded area near the Mushroom Rock have been cleared already, using heavy machinery.
Large swathes of vegetation inside the secluded area in the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, near the Mushroom Rock, was cleared using heavy machinery.
| Video Credit:
By Arrangement
“I have seen them working for the past four to five days. They have cleared up to 100 acres of forested area, and levelling up the land using bulldozers. And they have dug up a huge pit where they are throwing the chopped trees,” said Akshay Deshpande, a volunteer with the Save City Forest collective which has been opposing the move on the environmental grounds.
Large swathes of vegetation inside the secluded area in the 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli, near the Mushroom Rock, was cleared using heavy machinery.
| Photo Credit:
By Arrangement
Satellite images of the location show that the clearing of trees had begun much before the auction announcement. Google Earth images from November, 2024 clearly show a large patch shorn of greenery, as compared to the image from 2020.
A statement from the Save City Forest on Saturday, made an appeal to the government to withdraw the auction, stop tree felling, and declare the Kancha Gachibowli as a protected area in view of the biodiversity and wildlife flourishing at the location. It has also demanded a biodiversity impact assessment to be carried in the area.
The statement has come on the heels of an unofficial news plant displaying neither name nor department, which dismissed the reports that the site of the proposed auction belonged to the University of Hyderabad.
It is a government land, as confirmed by the Revenue authorities, and cleared by the UoH Registrar for carrying out the survey work, it said, sidestepping the wildlife aspect of the issue.
‘Layout prepared preserving rock formations’
Denying that the two lakes Peacock Lake and Buffalo Lake are in danger, the note said TGIIC had prepared a layout duly preserving the rock formations including the mushroom rock. A detailed Environment Management Plan too is being prepared, it said.
However, the latest statement issued by the collective, categorically said it does not contest the ownership or title of the land, but strongly asserts that the TGIIC auction violates the public trust doctrine.
Asserting that this space is in every sense akin to the KBR National Park in the heart of the city, hence needs protection, the statement said Ameenpur Lake, which holds the status of Biodiversity Heritage Site, hosts nearly the same diversity of species and natural resources.
Citing research papers to flag 20% reduction in green cover in Ranga Reddy district between 2000 and 2020, concentrated around Gachibowli, Manikonda and Shamshabad due to IT industry and real estate, the statement said groundwater levels too dropped from an average of 15 meters in 2020 to 25 meters below ground level, and there was an increase in air pollution too.
These findings point towards a dangerous and unsustainable trajectory where continued destruction of natural ecosystems will lead to severe water crisis, poor air quality, and rising temperatures, ultimately making Rangareddy district, particularly Gachibowli, unliveable for future generations, it said, and made an appeal to the UoH too, to safeguard its existing land for natural conservation.
Published – March 15, 2025 10:59 pm IST
