The Telangana government recently allocated 100 acres of land — nearly one-third of it is the PJTSAU's agri-biodiversity zone — for the construction of a new high court.
According to the students, the agri-biodiversity park has 2.5 lakh trees planted comprising different flora. (Supplied)
The student protest at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) over the state government’s decision to establish a new high court on the varsity’s agri-biodiversity land entered its seventh day on Sunday, 14 January.
Every day, nearly a few hundred students are staging protest daylong protest while abandoning classes and camping under makeshift tents.
Others are boycotting classes in other colleges of the varsity in Adilabad, Aswaraopet, Jagtial, and Sircilla.
They are raising slogans such as “Save agriculture, save farmers”, “Abolish GO 55” and “Save PJTSAU lands.”
On Saturday, the students also wrote to Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundarajan requesting her intervention in reconsidering the high court construction location.
They have also sought the appointment of Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe to present the matter before him.
“We are not against the construction of the new high court building, but it should not come up on the university’s land,” Satyamurthy, the president of the PhD research scholars’ association, told South First, demanding that the government repeal the Government Order numbered 55 (GO-55).
The Telangana government issued GO-55 on 31 December, which came to light on 5 January. It allocated 100 acres of land for the construction of a new high court complex in the Premavathipet and Budwel villages of Rajendernagar mandal.
Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and D Sridhar Babu along with three High Court judges visit the PJTSAU. (Supplied)
The GO stated, “After careful examination of the entire matter, Government hereby accord permission to the end registrars, PJTSAU and SKLTSHU for allotment of the land pertaining to PJTSAU and SKLTSHU……. in Premavathipet Village and in Budwel village, Rajendranagar Mandal, Rangareddy District, totaling Ac. 100-00 gts to the Law (Judicial) Department for construction of new High Court for Telangana [sic].”
Of the 100-acre site, around 35-40 acres of land belong to the PJTSAU and have been developed over the years as an agri-biodiversity zone for research and education purposes.
The rest belongs to Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University (SKLTSHU) — around 50 acres in Budwel and the village.
Meanwhile, a representation was made by the students for the protection of the agri-biodiversity park during a recent visit by ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and D Sridhar Babu along with three high court judges.
For seven days now, students of @PjtsauIndia in Hyderabad have been protesting over the @TelanganaCMO GO-55.
The students of the varsity have been boycotting classes across #Telangana while laying several concerns over the GO. Read here. https://t.co/kgRPAWcvds
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) January 14, 2024
In their letter addressed to the Governor, the students pointed out that the designated area houses a 130-acre dedicated biodiversity park, a drone academy, a medicinal and aromatic plant research station, and habitats for various endangered species.
“These areas serve not only as an essential academic and research resource but also contribute significantly to the environmental sustainability of Hyderabad and the entire Telangana,” K Aravind, a final-year PhD scholar at the Department of Plant Pathology, told South First.
The agr-biodiversity park in the PJTSAU. (Supplied)
He added that some of the rarest flora and fauna species are found in the bio-diversity zone.
“There are at least six threatened species [of animals and birds] present here as per the data prepared by our retired professor V Vasudeva Rao,” the researcher claimed.
The six endangered species are the red-necked falcon, black-headed ibis, painted stork, pallid harrier, oriental darter, red sand boa, and Indian black turtle.
“So, if this ecosystem is disturbed, the total ecological balance will be affected and these species might go extinct. The park serves as a live laboratory for understanding the ecosystem process,” he added.
The students remarked that the agri-biodiversity park helps them conduct field experiments, create new varieties and come up with new technologies, which in turn benefit farmers.
“But we need land for that purpose. If we do not have any land, agriculture students can’t conduct fieldwork that is ultimately going to impact a farmer’s livelihood,” K Rakesh, a final-year PhD Agriculture student, told South First.
According to the students, the agri-biodiversity park has 2.5 lakh trees planted comprising different flora such as palm, teak, neem, mahua, amla, mixed fruit trees, and medicinal plants. It also hosts 439 plant species belonging to 313 genera and 85 families.
Rangoli made by the students beside the protesting site. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
In all, 80 species of trees, 206 species of herbs, 56 species of shrubs, 52 species of climbers, six species of palms, and 39 species of grasses are said to be in the park. They contain a total of 143 medicinal plants as well.
The park is also home to 348 animal species comprising 16 species of mammals, 139 species of birds, 42 species of reptiles, and 151 species of invertebrates.
Said to be serving as a resource of native crops and biodiversity of Telangana’s Deccan Plateau region, the park — one of its kind in the country — consists of 20 natural communities with indigenous resources, claimed the students.
In a groundbreaking move, an endemic and endangered plant species worldwide, Ceropegia bulbosa was spotted in the the park after 215 years. It was last seen in urban environments.
A butterfly park with butterfly-host plants and artificial nest boxes also exists inside the park to enhance the breeding potential of cavity-nesting birds.
In October 2022, Hyderabad was awarded the “World Green City Award” for that year by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in Jeju, South Korea.
Noting that Hyderabad was regarded as one of the most sustainable cities in the world, Hima said, “The Rajender Nagar area is called the lungs of Hyderabad. If you come near the vicinity of the PJTSAU, the temperature varies by two degrees because of the biodiversity on campus.”
Students protest at the PJTSAU. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
The students fear that removing the agri-biodiversity park would also have a direct impact on Hyderabad’s climate.
“Because of the presence of huge ecological diversity here, removing it will have a direct impact on Hyderabad as deforestation will impact the macro-and micro-climatic conditions present in the park and create an ecological imbalance. Moreover, pollution in the city will increase too,” Kumar told South First.
He noted that the varsity’s agri-biodiversity park contributed significantly to making Telangana the seed bowl of the world, asserted by former Agriculture Minister S Narender Reddy.
“The perfect conditions for every crop’s seed and their production are present here, and the research that goes on is intense as we all know the impacts of climate change,” said Kumar.
“Moreover, in the days to come, the research on agriculture will be more intense. So, we require more lands to conduct this research,” he explained.
He also said that the students needed at least five to six acres of land to construct a speed-breeding unit or any breeding facility to create better breeding varieties.
Speed-breeding is a process that cuts down the crop-breeding cycle and accelerates its improvement through generational advancement.
“Just like a vaccine can be developed in a short span, crops can be grown through this artificial process. Usually, we have crops in two seasons every year as plants get only eight to 10 hours of sunlight every day. However, with this process, nearly five to six crops can be grown in,
“Just like a vaccine can be developed in a short span, crops can be grown through this artificial process. Usually, we have crops in two seasons every year as plants get only eight to 10 hours of sunlight every day. However, with this process, nearly five to six crops can be grown in a season as it provides nearly 20-22 hours of light in a day,” said Hima Kumar of the Genetics and Plant Breeding Department.
Noting that the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has two speed-breeding units, Hima added, “The PJTSAU doesn’t have even one of them. After nearly 10 years, the students will require much better facilities for which land will act as an asset.”
PJTSAU students taking out a rally during their protest. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
Meanwhile, the non-teaching staff, led by Srinivas Yadav, President of the Non-Teaching Employees Association, announced support for the students’ protest. The students now want the varsity administration to come forward and support their demands.
“The government should have discussed the matter first with us (students),” said Satyamurthy, the president of the PhD research scholars’ association.
For the students, it would be better for the state government to choose an alternative site that is not used for farming purposes — one that would not jeopardise the valuable ecological treasures.
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