Supreme Court pulls up Telangana Govt over tree felling in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli
Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Telangana government over large-scale tree felling in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Hyderabad. A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and A.G. Masih expressed serious concern over the clearing of approximately 100 acres of forest land and warned of strict action against officials if violations continue.
Hearing a suo motu case registered over the incident, the Court directed the state to submit a concrete restoration plan and measures being taken to protect wildlife in the affected forest area. The matter has been posted for further hearing on May 15, with the state granted four weeks to respond to the Centrally Empowered Committee’s (CEC) report.
J Gavai (to Telangana): If you try to oppose restoration, then temporary prison for your officers. In the meantime, not a single tree will be fell there. Have the bulldozers been removed?
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 16, 2025
According to the Live Law updates on ‘X,’ Justice Gavai noted that instead of justifying its actions, the state should focus on presenting a viable restoration plan. The bench highlighted that failure to do so could result in temporary imprisonment for responsible officials.
The Court expressed alarm at the presence of dozens of bulldozers used during a three-day holiday period to clear the land, questioning the urgency behind such actions. “We are here to protect the environment,” Justice Gavai said, adding that even private forest land requires court permission before any tree felling.
Senior Advocate Dr. A.M. Singhvi, appearing for Telangana, stated that development activities had been halted and that permissions had been obtained for most of the tree felling. However, questions were raised over the government’s self-certification process and the claim that certain tree species were exempt from permission requirements.
The bench took note of disturbing findings in the CEC’s report, including allegations that around 10,000 acres of notified land had been mortgaged to private parties, an issue not addressed in the Chief Secretary’s affidavit. Justice Gavai warned that the Court would not tolerate any actions violating its 1996 order on forest protection.
In response to photographs and concerns raised about wildlife displacement, the Court directed the Telangana Wildlife Warden to take immediate steps to protect animals in the area. Justice Gavai remarked that videos showed herbivorous animals fleeing the area and being attacked by stray dogs.
The bench reiterated that no further trees should be felled and asked if bulldozers had been removed from the site. To this, Dr. Singhvi responded with a smile, “They are now unemployed bulldozers.” The matter has been listed for May 15.
