Home NEWS Telangana govt clears ‘forest’ land despite University of Hyderabad students’ protest |...

Telangana govt clears ‘forest’ land despite University of Hyderabad students’ protest | Hyderabad News


The Telangana government Monday continued to clear the land in the Kancha Gachibowli village in the IT corridor of Hyderabad despite rising protests by the students of the University of Hyderabad. The activity that started Sunday afternoon continued through the night, and more earthmovers were deployed Monday morning.

Located in the Rangareddy district, the proposed auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha of Kancha Gachibowli is expected to earn the state government Rs 10,000 to 15,000 crore. The state government, which has repeatedly stated it was the sole owner of the land, wants to build world-class infrastructure, IT parks, improve urban connectivity and develop urban living space.

According to University of Hyderabad students, as many as 50 earthmovers have been deployed to wipe out the green space without any delay. “They worked overnight to destroy the ecosystem, even as a petition filed before the High Court demanding the entire 400 acres to be preserved as a national park is pending hearing on April 7,” said a student leader.

On Sunday, more than 50 students were detained by the Cyberabad police for obstructing the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TIIC) from carrying out the work to clear the land of trees and shrubs. Citing a joint-study by UoH and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India of 2008-09, they said the area is home to over 455 species of flora and fauna, including herbs, shrubs, creepers, butterflies, odonates, arachnids, herpetofauna, birds, and mammals.

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Meanwhile, climate activist from Manipur Licypriya Kangujam posted in support of UoH.

‘Contempt of court’

The Telangana Government Monday reiterated that it was the sole owner of the land, and any dispute, if created, will be in contempt of court. “The revenue records clearly said the land is not forest land as reported in a section of the media but rather owned by the government,” said a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office Monday.

The Chief Minister’s Office said TGIIC, after examining the survey, “prepared a plan to preserve the famous Mushroom rock and other rock formations as green spaces in its layout”. “Later, the Corporation decided to prepare a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for sustainable development in the area in the master plan,” it said.

The CMO also noted the Corporation has not encroached upon the lands of the University of Hyderabad, and has not damaged any of the existing water resources (lakes) and rock formations.

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However, the students say the land has not been surveyed and demarcated from the university campus, and that it was part of the larger ecosystem of flora and fauna, many of the species of which are under endangered and protected category.

Activists and students cite the 1996 T N Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India case, where the Supreme Court held that any land with forest cover qualifies as ‘forest land’, even if the land is not notified as a forest; that the term ‘forest’ is to be understood in the dictionary sense of the word.

The group of activists under the banner Save City Forest also emphasised that any move to clear forest cover with Schedule-I species without any environmental impact assessment or environmental clearance is a grave offence under the wildlife and environmental laws.

UoH clarification

A top university official also said the varsity didn’t own the said land, and the government was free to do anything it wanted.

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“The University of Hyderabad wishes to clarify that no survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities in the University campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the State Government in 2006 from Ms IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd,” the varsity said in a statement Monday.

“The only action taken thus far has been a preliminary inspection of the land’s topography. The University also denies the statement of the TGIIC in the press recently that it has agreed to such demarcation of the land. In fact, no demarcation of land has been done, nor the University has been informed.”

The release said the university would forward the representations of the stakeholders to the state government to reconsider the points raised, and requested it to conserve the environment and biodiversity in the area. “In this context, it is important to note that any transfer of land allocated to the University can occur with the formal concurrence of the University’s Executive Council as per Clause (ix) of Statute 13, which comprises six nominees appointed by the President of India, in the capacity of Visitor of the University.”





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