Why was there such a rush to cut down trees near Hyderabad University ? : SC slams Telangana Govt

Telangana government deforests 100 acres of land

Revanth Reddy Chief Minister of Telangana

Hyderabad (Telangana) – The  Supreme Court  on Wednesday criticised the Telangana government for justifying the large-scale felling of trees across 100 acres of the 400 acres of ecologically sensitive Kancha Gachibowli area in Hyderabad.

Pulling up the state for acting in clear violation of established environmental norms, the Court warned that senior bureaucrats, including the State Chief Secretary, could face “temporary imprisonment” if the damage was not addressed through an immediate restoration plan to be submitted to the court in four weeks. (It is shameful for the Government that the SC has to bring it up. – Editor)

1.The bench also rejected the state’s argument that the thousands of trees felled fell under an “exempted” category and therefore did not require prior permission.

2.This land near the University of Hyderabad belongs to the state government and has been given to the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation by the government. The Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation has started felling trees on this land for development since 30^thMarch. Students of the University of Hyderabad and environmentalists are protesting against this deforestation.

3.This source was raised before the Supreme Court by amicus curiae and senior advocate K. Parameswaran. Taking the note of the matter, the Supreme Court had stayed the felling of trees on 3^rdApril. The Supreme Court had also asked the Central Empowered Committee to visit the site and submit a report.