Hyderabad: The Supreme Court Central Empowered Committee on Thursday, April 10, began inspection of the Kancha Gachibowli land.
The land has been making news since the Telangana government announced that the 400-acre land would be auctioned. The inspection follows strong observations by the apex court over the alleged unauthorised felling of trees and destruction of vast green cover in the name of development.
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The Supreme Court took a suo motu cognisance of the Congress government’s actions following media reports, and directed the CEC to assess the ground situation and submit a detailed report.
The panel is also scheduled to meet senior government officials, including Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, at 2 pm. On Friday, it will hear representations from NGOs, student groups, and other stakeholders who have flagged environmental violations at the site.
As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the committee will submit its report before April 16, which is expected to play a key role in determining the fate of the Kancha Gachibowli land.
Supreme Court orders stay on tree felling
On April 3, the Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on the felling of trees in the Kancha Gachibowli land. A bench hearing the case directed the registrar of the Telangana High Court to visit the site and submit a report on the same.
The move came amid concerns over environmental impact and legal disputes surrounding the land.
SC orders interim stay on tree felling at Kancha Gachibowli land
It directed the registrar (judicial) of the apex court to forthwith communicate its order to the registrar (judicial) of the high court, who shall act upon it forthwith. “We further direct the Chief Secretary of the state of Telangana to ensure that until further orders are passed by this court, no felling of trees be permitted in Kancha Gachibowli forest area,” the bench said.
The bench was informed that the Telangana High Court was also seized of the very same matter.
“We clarify that we are not staying the proceedings before the Telangana High Court,” the bench said.
BRS files complaint with forest department
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders filed a complaint with the Telangana forest department against the deforestation on the Kancha Gachibowli land.
In their complaint, they accused the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) of violating environmental laws to facilitate real estate enterprise, leading to massive deforestation, the displacement of wildlife, and ecological degradation. They cited violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Following the complaint, Kumar told the media that decisive action was crucial to uphold environmental laws and protect Telangana’s rapidly vanishing green spaces. He demanded an immediate cessation of all encroachment and destruction in the affected 400 acres, as well as a thorough investigation into those responsible for the illegal encroachment.
Centre terms Kancha Gachibowli land clearance ‘illegal’
The controversy over the proposed auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli has taken a new turn as the Central government has stepped in, declaring the Telangana government’s land clearance efforts “illegal.”
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has now demanded an explanation from the state government, seeking both a factual report and an action taken report on the matter.
(With inputs from PTI)
