Retired Civil Servants Denounce Tree Felling in Hyderabad Forest
Urgent Call to Safeguard Forests and Biodiversity
A collective of retired civil servants and diplomats have voiced their concern over the recent tree felling in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli forest area. They are urging all governments to protect forests and biodiversity nationwide and refrain from diverting them for development purposes.
400-Acre Land in Kancha Gachibowli Forest Area
The issue at hand concerns a 400-acre plot in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area, which houses various flora and fauna species. The Congress government in Telangana proposed to auction the land for IT parks development. However, several groups have contested this decision.
Clearing of Trees and Vegetation
Earlier this month, bulldozers began clearing trees and other vegetation in a 100-acre area near the University of Hyderabad campus. Clashes erupted between university students and the police during protests against tree felling.
Supreme Court Intervention
On April 3, the Supreme Court intervened and ordered a halt to all tree-felling activities in the area. The court instructed the state’s chief secretary to file an affidavit explaining the “compelling urgency” for developmental activities, including tree removal from the alleged forest area.
The state government was also asked to clarify if environmental impact assessment certification and other necessary permissions for development activities had been obtained from the forest department. The court inquired about the state’s plans for the felled trees.
Plan to Restore 100 Acres of Land
On Wednesday, the court instructed the state government to develop a plan to restore the 100 acres of land.
Contradiction to Congress’ Commitments
The group of former bureaucrats stated that while the Congress pledged to uphold sustainable development and environmental protection in its 2024 Lok Sabha elections manifesto, the incident at Kancha Gachibowli contradicted the party’s commitments.
Evidence Refuting State Government’s Claim
The state government claimed that the land in question was not forest land. However, the group presented evidence refuting this claim, including a 1996 Supreme Court ruling in the Godavarman case and a recent order directing states to identify and geo-reference all forests.
Ecologically Rich Forested Area
The forested area in question is ecologically rich and reportedly home to migratory birds, 220 species of other birds, deer, 700 species of plants, critically endangered star tortoises, and the Hyderabad Tree Trunk spider, an endemic species found nowhere else in the world.
Strict Adherence to Supreme Court’s Directives
The group welcomed the Supreme Court’s April 16 order in the matter and called for strict adherence to the directives.
The signatories to the statement include Punjab’s former director general of police Julio Ribeiro, Delhi’s former Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, and former Indian Administrative Service officer Harsh Mander.
