If the famous story of Leo Tolstoy ‘How much land does a man want?’ The question of Telangana government was asked, perhaps its answer would have been- ‘400 acres’. This has been the attitude of the government regarding the IT park to be built in Kancha Gachibovali area of ​​Hyderabad. The government claims that an investment of 50,000 crores will come in this project and 5 lakh jobs will be created. According to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, this development is like ‘oxygen’ for Telangana, but the irony is that he has tried to cut Hyderabad’s green trees with JCB machines. It is like a surgical strike on nature in a way.
Supreme Court shows strictness
This is a government land on paper, as has also been said to Telangana High Court and Supreme Court. The supporters of the government argue that it is the right of the government to take any decision on this land. Both Hyderabad University adjacent to the forest department and adjacent to this area have no legal right in this matter, this is the government’s side.
Also read: Supreme Court strict on cutting of trees in Kancha Gachibovali of Telangana, asked the government- took permission from the forest department
But legally the situation of the government is very weak. On March 4, the Supreme Court had directed all the states to identify forest land and similar land by forming a specialist committee in six months. Also, till then the Government of India or any state will not take any such step that cuts the forest area. Environmentalists say that even though this area of ​​Kancha Gachibovali does not have forest land in the revenue records, it is naturally like an ancient forest.
JCB went fierce in the forest
No government can take away the rights from citizens that they should not raise their voice against the fall in air quality. No one would want Hyderabad to reach a situation like ‘Now (polluted) Delhi is not distant’. This time during the Eid holidays, trees were indiscriminately harvested in the region, causing deer, snakes, peacocks and 232 other birds to be evicted from their homes.
Even this area is the only house of a rare spider species called Murricia Hyderabafensis. There are many varieties of lakes, caves, grasslands, insects living in soil, shady queues, rocks and rare trees in this area. According to reports, JCB machines have destroyed the greenery of at least 100 acres of land so far.
Political rhetoric also intensified
Political parties may get power for five years, but it is their duty not to take such decisions which make the earth more barren for generations to come. In 2004, the same land was given by the Chandrababu Naidu government to a private company named IMG Bharatha for sports infrastructure, but no work was done for two years. In 2006, the Congress government (led by YS Rajasekhar Reddy) canceled the allocation. Long -term litigation lasted and finally in 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that this land belonged to the government. After this, it was also clear that the university has no right on this land.
Students and environmental workers say that tremendous trees have been harvested and this charge also proves pictures of Google Map. Political parties like BRS and BJP have also jumped into this issue. BRS has accused Revanth Reddy of behaving like ‘real estate don’. Apart from legal action, both parties have also demanded intervention from Union Forest and Education Ministers.
Huge loss to the environment
However, there has been a lot of damage so far, which cannot be brought back. But JCB machines will now have to stop there. Not just temporary stops, but permanent. This land requires an honest environmental impact evaluation (EIA). If religious places are not teased from real estate, then why should the house of such rare creatures and rich biodiversity be erased?
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In the last two and a half decades, various governments have converted the western part of Greater Hyderabad into a concrete forest, where high-rise buildings are standing in place of natural rocks. The question arises that when barren land is available in the southern part of the city, why should Hyderabad’s ‘Silicon Valley’ be built only in this area? When real estate starts running the rule, it proves to be disastrous for both environment and infrastructure.
State government formed committee
The BRS has announced with the intention of intimidating potential investors that it will return to power in 2028 and withdraw the land and make it the biggest eco-park in Hyderabad. Political allegations and counter-allegations will continue, but after the Supreme Court rebuke, the government has got a tough lesson. This is the reason that the government has now formed a ministers’ committee with three members, out of which two are alumni of the University of Hyderabad, will negotiate with students and other affected aspects and go ahead.
Being the patron of every natural resource in Telangana, it becomes the responsibility of the Revanth Reddy government to protect these resources. Monitor Lizard, Owl, Financial Deer, Peacock and 40 thousand trees are equally necessary stakeholders as the minister or protesting student of the government.