‘Ensure our forests are protected’: Ex-bureaucrats on tree felling in Telangana’s Kancha Gachibowli

The recent felling of trees in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli forest area was a “disturbing incident”, a group of retired civil servants and diplomats said on Saturday.

“Our fervent appeal to all governments is to ensure that our forests and biodiversity across the country are protected and not diverted in the name of development,” the Constitutional Conduct Group said in a statement.

The matter pertains to the 400-acre land in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area, which is home to several species of flora and fauna. The Congress government in Telangana had proposed to auction the land for the development of IT parks. However, several groups had protested the decision.

Earlier this month, bulldozers began clearing trees and other vegetation in a 100-acre area near the University of Hyderabad campus. Clashes broke out between the university students and the police during the protests against the felling of trees.

On April 3, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and ordered a stop to all the tree-felling activities in the area.

It had directed the state’s chief secretary to file an affidavit explaining the “compelling urgency to undertake the developmental activities including the removal of trees from the alleged forest area”.

The state government was also told to clarify if environmental impact assessment certification and other necessary permissions...

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