New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered an immediate halt to all developmental activities in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Hyderabad, expressing shock over large-scale deforestation across hundreds of acres. The court took suo motu cognizance of the matter and warned that Telangana’s Chief Secretary would be held personally liable if its directives were not followed.
A bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih instructed, “Until further orders, no activity of any sort, except the protection of trees already existing, shall be undertaken by the State.”
The apex court questioned the Telangana government on multiple grounds, including:
- Whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certification was obtained before initiating the project.
- If proper permissions for tree felling were acquired from forest authorities.
- The role of officers in the committee constituted by the state for identifying forest lands.
- The fate of the felled trees.
Court Slams Government’s ‘Alarming Urgency’
The Supreme Court’s intervention came after the Telangana High Court’s Registrar (Judicial) submitted a report detailing massive deforestation using heavy machinery, including JCBs. The report included disturbing images of wildlife, such as peacocks and deer, fleeing the destruction site.
Justice Gavai strongly criticized the government’s haste, stating, “Forest or not, whether you have taken requisite permission for felling trees… 100 acres in 2-3 days is something… we would only remind one sentence—howsoever high one may be, not above the law.”
State’s Justification Rejected
Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, representing Telangana, argued that the land in question was not a designated forest. However, the bench dismissed this claim, emphasizing that even non-forest land requires appropriate permissions for tree felling.
Additionally, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan informed the court that student protestors were being detained for opposing the deforestation.
Legal and Environmental Battle Over 400 Acres
The dispute arises from a Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) order to alienate 400 acres of green cover for IT infrastructure development. The land was acquired in 2012, but large-scale tree felling accelerated only recently, triggering public outcry.
Petitioners argue that the state government violated Supreme Court judgments in T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India and Ashok Kumar Sharma v. Union of India, which mandate identifying and preserving forest-like areas. Additionally, no environmental assessment was conducted under the EIA Notification, 2006, before clearing the land.
The state, however, insists the area is classified as “industrial land” and dismisses claims of forest destruction as “Google image-based arguments.”
What’s Next?
With the Supreme Court’s stay in place, the Telangana government faces legal scrutiny over its handling of the Kancha Gachibowli land. The court has made it clear that any violation of its orders will have serious consequences, putting the state administration under intense pressure to justify its actions.
The post SC Halts Hyderabad Tree Felling, Questions Telangana Govt’s Urgency appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
