Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force of Telangana informed the CEC that in addition to 1,399 exempted trees, 125 non-exempted trees had been unlawfully felled.
Published May 17, 2025 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated May 17, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Three excavators have been seized and made into government property.
Synopsis: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests initiated punitive action against the destruction of the urban forest at Kancha Gachibowli even as a Central Empowered Committee recommended declaring the land as forest land.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of Telangana has imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on the Zonal Manager of the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) and seized three excavators belonging to a contractor for illegally felling trees on Kancha Gachibowli forest land.
This development has been detailed in the final report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), submitted to the Supreme Court on 14 May.
“Regarding the illegal felling of trees in the area, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) of Telangana informed the CEC that, during an inspection conducted on April 3, it was found that, in addition to 1,399 exempted trees, 125 non-exempted trees had been unlawfully felled by contractor Sri Govindu Krishna, partner at M/s Delta Corporation,” the report stated.
“A case was registered against the contractor under the Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA) 2002. Following this, three JCB machines were seized and a penalty of ₹5,00,000 was imposed on the TGIIC Zonal Manager for failing to monitor the contractor’s actions,” reads the report.
The backhoes have now became Telangana’s property. “The JCBs have now been confiscated and declared as the property of the State of Telangana. According to the PCCF & HoFF, the District Environmental Committee (DEC) took all necessary steps to enforce legal compliance and protect the environment, under the supervision of the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Charminar Circle,” the report added.
Kancha Gachibowli, a 400-acre parcel of land in Hyderabad, has become the center of a major controversy following the Telangana government’s decision to auction the land—adjacent to the University of Hyderabad—for IT and infrastructure development.
The move sparked widespread protests, legal action, and national attention. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a suo motu plea in the matter and has appointed the CEC to assess the environmental damage.
After examining the facts and circumstances of the case, the CEC has recommended that the land in question be officially declared as forest land, with its management entrusted to the Telangana Forest Department.
“The land parcel that has been cleared of vegetation shall be restored to its original condition through the planting of dense native tree and shrub species by the Forest Department during the upcoming monsoon season. Necessary soil and moisture conservation activities shall also be undertaken simultaneously,” the report recommended.
The CEC further noted that, given the area’s rich biodiversity, presence of wildlife, and ecologically significant lakes, the state government should consider declaring the land a Conservation Reserve under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The Telangana Forest Department has been advised to take all necessary measures, including the preparation of a Wildlife Management Plan, to protect and enhance the area’s biodiversity.
“A comprehensive ecological assessment of the area shall be conducted, preferably by the Wildlife Institute of India or another similarly reputed institution. All the water bodies within the land parcel shall be protected as wetlands, in accordance with the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017,” the report said.
Additionally, the report directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to ensure that all sewage outlets currently flowing into the University of Hyderabad campus are closed within the next 12 months. This should be done following the establishment of adequate Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) outside the university campus.
The report also recommended the government to reconstitute the expert committee tasked with identifying forest areas across Telangana. This committee should include field forest officers, wildlife experts, ecologists, IT and remote sensing professionals, and survey agencies to ensure the accurate identification of forest-like areas, in line with the Supreme Court’s directives.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
