Restore Kancha Gachibowli forest or have officers sent to jail, SC tells Telangana

The Supreme Court on Thursday told the Telangana government that it can choose to either restore the trees it felled in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area near the University of Hyderabad campus or have it officers sent to jail, The Indian Express reported.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih also said that the felling of the trees prima facie appeared to be “pre-planned”.

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.

On March 30, 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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