WHAT HAPPENS when a government prioritises economic growth over protecting the environment? The Telangana government's goal to auction off 400 acres of land near Hyderabad Central University has kicked off a heated protest by residents of the HCU Campus. On April 3, five days after the government began clearing vast tracks of the Kancha Gachibowli forest, the Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on the tree felling and directed the Registrar (Judicial) of the Telangana High Court to inspect the spot and provide a report. The top Court will hear the case on April 16.
A batch of PILs have also been filed by the HCU students union and other civil rights stakeholders contesting the clearance granted to raze the forest for the state’s ambitious IT infrahub project.
To set out at the forefront, this is not just about who owns the piece of land – it is more about how far state power tends to go when dealing with areas rich in plant and animal life, especially when the power is unchecked.
The key point to be considered here is that the land at the center of this fight is buzzing with biodiversity. So how does the government defend this auction? It does so by pointing to a 2022 High Court ruling that gave the state ownership over the land because HCU never seemed to have gotten an official deed for the property, and thus the scales have tipped vastly in favour of the State in this regard.
