Grasslands in Telangana Face Extinction Threat as Protection Plan Remains Pending
HYDERABAD: Large stretches of natural grasslands in Telangana habitats that support species such as the Indian fox and blackbuck remain outside the conservation framework, even as proposals to secure legal protection have been pending since 2022.
Researchers and wildlife groups identified open landscapes around Ramanathgudapalle, Yenakathala and adjoining tracts near Mominpet in Vikarabad district as priority sites. No formal protection has been announced so far. Instead, these ecosystems continue to face steady pressure from expanding habitation, quarrying, vehicle movement and infrastructure projects.
Grasslands still classified as ‘wastelands’
Conservation groups note that because these open systems are categorised as “wastelands” in government records, they can be diverted for non-forest use with relatively little scrutiny. Telangana has about 12,881 sq km of natural open ecosystems grasslands and savannas accounting for roughly 11.5% of the state’s area. Of this, 6,452 sq km, or a little over half, has been targeted for tree-based restoration.
Ecologists argue that without distinguishing natural grasslands from genuinely degraded land, restoration programmes risk converting functioning savannas into plantations and scrub. These open ecosystems, locally known as kanchas, once surrounded Hyderabad but have largely disappeared.
Ramnathgudpalle proposal stalled
The push to secure reserve status for the Ramnathgudpalle landscape began in December 2022, when a proposal seeking conservation reserve notification was submitted to the Vikarabad collector. A second proposal was sent to the forest department in February 2023, followed by an all-NGO meeting to build consensus.
With no progress, campaigners escalated the issue in February 2025, sending representations to the Union environment ministry and to the principal secretary, forest and environment department.
Wildlife ecologist Pranay Juvvadi said natural grasslands must be valued on par with forests. “They are not empty land parcels. They are not degraded forests. They are ecosystems in their own right,” he said.
According to Chinnaboina Pradeep Kumar, founder of WildTelangana and VWolves Foundation, the Ramnathgudpalle grassland covers about 2,100 acres, one of the few remaining large contiguous patches in the state. He added that protected grasslands in states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh demonstrate what Telangana could achieve with similar management.
Principal chief conservator of forests Ch Suvarna told reporter “Ramnathgudpalle grassland will be incorporated in the compensatory afforestation land bank for future use towards forest land diversion proposals. We will take measures to protect and manage grasslands in reserve forest areas.”
Indian fox documentary amplifies urgency
A new Telugu wildlife documentary, Indian Fox: Fighting Habitat Loss, screened at Prasad Labs on Sunday, brings further attention to the rapid loss of Telangana’s grasslands. Directed by Chinnaboina Pradeep and written by Pranay Juvvadi, the film follows a family of Indian foxes in the Ramnathgudpalle grasslands over three years.
Narrated by actor Navdeep, the documentary highlights behavioural patterns of the fox and records the deterioration of its habitat. The Bengal or Indian fox, closely tied to open savannas, is among the species most threatened by the shrinking landscape.
