Kancha Gachibowli: Former bureaucrats ask for protection of forests, biodiversity

A group of former and retired government officials, who have worked both with the Central and State governments, who have come together as the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) to speak out against violations of the Indian Constitution, has expressed dismay over the clearing of over 100 acres of forested land in Kancha Gachibowli using bulldozers, and asked all governments to ensure that forests and biodiversity across the country are protected and not diverted in the name of “development”.

In a statement that has 67 signatories including former AP Special Chief Secretary Rachel Chatterjee, former Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir DGP FTR Colaso, former Ambassador to Sweden Sushil Dubey, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Advisor to the Prime Minister TKA Nair and former Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro among others, the CCG said that though the Congress party in its manifesto for the 2024 elections reaffirmed its commitment to rapid, inclusive and sustainable development, and to protect its ecosystems, local communities, flora and fauna, was now acting in contradiction to this.

“When students of Hyderabad University protested against the clearance of the forested land, the felling of the trees, and the use of bulldozers, the State government, instead of holding a dialogue with them to resolve the matter, sought to quell the protest by force, even resorting to arrests and lathi charges,” it noted.

“The State Government has been vehemently asserting that the land concerned is not forest land. However, there is considerable evidence that refutes this claim,” the group said, pointing out that as per the Supreme Court order of 1996, in what is commonly known as the Godavarman case, all States were to constitute State Expert Committees (SEC) to identify all forests as per the dictionary meaning of the word, irrespective of ownership.

“The Andhra Pradesh Government (of which Telangana was a part in 1996) failed to constitute the SEC and therefore did not identify all forests as directed by the Supreme Court. They also failed to comply with subsequent Supreme Court orders on geo-referencing of forests. The claim that the impugned land is not forest land has, therefore, no legal basis, being the outcome of non-compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court,” the CCG said.

“It may be noted that had the directions of the Supreme Court been followed, the land in question, Kancha Gachibowli, would very likely have been identified as forest as per the “dictionary meaning”, as well as per the land records, which called it a “wasteland” (which signifies grasslands, scrub forests etc.) In early 2025, the Supreme Court in WP 1164/23, again directed all States to identify and geo-reference all forests on the ground. While it was widely reported in the press that such a committee had been constituted in Telangana on March 15, 2025, the government did not bother to wait either for the report of this committee or its acceptance by the Supreme Court, before declaring that the impugned area (Kancha Gachibowli) is not a forest. This shows disregard of the Supreme Court’s orders. We wonder what the purpose was of setting up a committee to



identify all forests as per the Supreme Court’s directions, if such forests are destroyed without any concern for the legality, or the protests of citizens, or the biodiversity and wildlife of the area,” the group asked.

“We learn that this forested patch has reported many migratory birds, 220 species of other birds, deer, 700 species of plants, the critically endangered star tortoises, and the Hyderabad Tree Trunk spider- an endemic species found nowhere else in the world! We are heartened by the fact that the Supreme Court while hearing this matter recently has, on 16 April 2025, reiterated its earlier orders regarding identification of all forests and has emphasised that the Court’s orders need to be strictly followed.

Hyderabad is fortunate to have these 400 acres as part of the city landscape: it acts as a catchment area for trapping the rainfall, recharging the ground water which is used by nearby colonies and buildings; it moderates the “heat island “effect of the city,” the former bureaucrats stated, and that it “boggles the mind that these ecological and climatic benefits have been completely disregarded by the Telangana government in its disastrous push to denude the area of its green cover, precisely at a time when there is unanimous consensus among scientists and climatologists about increasing heat waves and water shortages”.

“The government should listen to at least the experts, if not to the citizens and students. Development at such a huge cost to the natural environment, when alternatives for the IT park are available, is nothing less than ecocide. While we appreciate the fact that the Telangana government has now withdrawn from confrontation in this matter and is trying to find an acceptable solution, we are alarmed to learn that Rs 10000 crore has been taken from private parties against that land. It is equally worrisome that instead of promising that this area would be allowed to regenerate as a forest and become a green lung for the city and a haven for its wildlife and biodiversity, there are media reports that indicate that Government wants to convert the whole land, including the land of the University into an eco-park. An eco-park is not a forest; it is a human-centric “developmental” activity, and not in accordance with the Supreme Court judgement. The State should instead ensure that the Expert Committee implements the Supreme Court orders of 19/02/24 and 04/03/25 in “letter and spirit”. It should, thereafter, protect all its identified forests to ensure ecosystem services for human sustenance and the well-being of its biodiversity,” the statement read.

“The Congress Party has been advocating the concepts of accountability, stake holder consultation and good governance in other parts of the country. The opportunity available in the State of Telangana to show a difference is unfortunately getting lost because of actions such as those at Kancha Gachibowli. We hope that the proposed auction or allotment of this land to private parties is cancelled and that the Expert Committee is allowed to diligently identify and geo-reference all forests, and allow forests to regenerate on all forest lands where felling has taken place,” it added.