Kancha Gachibowli tree felling move was pre-planned: SC questions Telangana govt
The court reiterated that it supports sustainable development and warned that if the forest is not restored, senior state officials, including the chief secretary, may face temporary imprisonment
The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Telangana government on why the largescale tree felling in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli carried out in a “rush” over a long holiday weekend.
“If it was a bona fide exercise, why not wait until Monday?” a bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih asked, while reviewing the Telangana government’s affidavit on the bulldozing of roughly 100 acres of forest land near the Hyderabad Central University campus.
“You took advantage of a long weekend. Bulldozers were deployed. The activity was clearly pre-planned,” the court said.
The court reiterated that it supports sustainable development and warned that if the forest is not restored, senior state officials, including the chief secretary, may face temporary imprisonment, a warning the bench has issued in previous hearings as well.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Telangana government, however, told the court that all tree felling activity in the area was stopped completely.
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In its affidavit filed before the court, the Telangana government also said the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, which is overseeing the master plan for the area, was prioritising the conservation of ecologically and historically significant landmarks and non-exempt trees in the development area.
The petitioner’s counsel, however, pointed out that even as the court was pulling the state up for deforestation, the latter continued to defend its actions and had gone on to confirm in its affidavit that it was still committed to developing the disputed area.
The Supreme Court then reminded the state it will be liable to contempt proceedings if it did not restore the damaged forest area.
“We are putting you on guard. You are trying to defend such a thing,” the court said.
“Did you have environment clearance? If you want, we will serve for contempt. It is better you take a decision to restore the forest,” the court said.
Singhvi however, submitted that “huge plantation and reforestation” activity was already being undertaken by the state in the area.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the issue on April 3 following citizen protests and media reports of the sudden clearing of forest land. It had ordered an immediate halt to all deforestation and excavation activities and directed site inspections by both the Telangana High Court Registrar (Judicial) and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
While the state has maintained that the 400-acre plot has never been classified as forest land, the CEC noted that the ownership is contested. Historical records, it said, indicate that the land originally vested with the University of Hyderabad under a conditional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
In its report, the CEC also noted that a ₹10,000 crore mortgage deed for the land had been registered with a private party on March 24, and the clearing began just three days later. The report described the clearing as an “undue haste” aimed at preempting forest classification.
According to the report, the CEC’s site visit revealed that over 1,500 trees were uprooted using heavy machinery. 1,399 of such trees, the state has claimed, came under the exempted categories and hence, no prior permission was required for their felling. The razed area included moderately to heavily dense forest and even a notified lake, the CEC said. The report also flagged a threat to the habitat of at least eight endangered or threatened species.
The Supreme Court will hear the matter next on July 23.
