Kancha Gachibowli row: Telangana HC directs state govt to halt work on 400-acre land parcel till April 3 amid protests

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to suspend all work on the 400-acre land parcel adjacent to the University of Hyderabad (UoH), which has become a bone of contention, for a day—until April 3.

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara was hearing a batch of PILs seeking a directive from the court to stop the uprooting of trees and land clearing at the Kancha Gachibowli site.

The petitioners also challenged the state government’s decision to allot the land to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), claiming it violated the Forest Conservation Act.

On March 30, the TGIIC initiated development work at the Kancha Gachibowli site as per a government order.

While posting the matter for further hearing on April 3, the court directed that all work at the site be stopped. This decision followed a plea from S Niranjan Reddy, counsel for one of the petitioners, who requested the court to intervene, stating that tree-cutting was continuing unabated.

Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy argued that the petitions were based on Google images, which, according to Supreme Court rulings, are not admissible as evidence.

He further contended that the land in question lies outside the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and has always been earmarked for industrial purposes.

Niranjan Reddy informed the court that no tree above one meter in height should be cut without prior permission from authorised agencies under the Water, Land, and Trees Act (WALTA).

He also stated that rampant deforestation was taking place across the 400-acre site.

Ecological disaster:

Calling the situation an “ecological disaster,” the petitioner’s counsel urged the court to direct the government to produce NRSA images from the past month to demonstrate the “indiscriminate” destruction of the area.

Counsel for another petitioner argued that the flora and fauna within the 400-acre site—whether it belongs to HCU or the state government—would be lost due to the “narrow economic interests” of the authorities.

On Monday, the TGIIC stated that it had established its ownership of the land in court and that UoH, a central university, does not own any portion of the disputed land.

Meanwhile, student groups from UoH continue to protest against the Telangana government’s plans to develop IT infrastructure and other projects on the site.