Telangana High Court Stalls Work on 400-Acre Land Adjacent to University of Hyderabad Until April 3

HYDERABAD: Students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) continued their protests on Wednesday against the state government’s plans to develop a 400-acre land parcel adjoining the university’s campus.

Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court issued a directive to the Congress-led state government to immediately halt all ongoing development activities on the disputed site until April 3.

Adding to the growing controversy, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sought a detailed report from the Telangana government regarding the “illegal clearing of vegetation” on the 400-acre tract of forest land near the UoH, located in the biodiversity-sensitive Kancha Gachibowli region.

The ministry has also instructed the state’s Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) to initiate appropriate legal action under relevant forest and wildlife protection laws.

“The ministry has become aware of unauthorized tree-felling and removal of forest cover in Kancha Gachibowli Village, Ranga Reddy district, by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC),” the central ministry noted in a letter dated Wednesday.

The letter also mentioned media coverage—both in print and online—highlighting damage to wildlife habitats, lakes, and the area’s distinctive rock formations.

Earlier in the day, students and faculty members affiliated with the University of Hyderabad Teachers’ Association (UHTA) attempted to conduct a protest rally from Ambedkar Auditorium to the East Campus, which includes the disputed 400 acres.

However, the police intervened and reportedly used force against some of the demonstrators. The UHTA, in a statement, claimed that some protesting students were subjected to a “lathi-charge.” Police officials, however, denied the allegations, stating only that the rally was stopped as a preventive measure. Subsequently, the protesters redirected their march towards the main gate of the university.

In a show of intensified resistance, the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU), along with affiliated unions and political groups, has declared an indefinite protest.

They also announced a boycott of academic classes starting April 1. The student union is demanding the immediate withdrawal of police forces from the university premises and the removal of heavy machinery from the disputed land parcel.

The protestors, which include environmental advocates, have raised strong objections to the proposed development, citing potential harm to the area’s ecological balance.

They argue that preserving the region’s natural biodiversity is more important than converting it into an industrial zone. The standoff escalated on March 31, when student protests grew louder following the state government’s assertion that the land rightfully belongs to it and not to the university.

However, this claim was refuted by the UoH Registrar, who contested the government’s declaration that the land’s boundary was officially finalized.

The High Court’s interim order came during a hearing on a set of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking to stop the deforestation and clearing activities in the Kancha Gachibowli area.

The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, instructed the state to halt all activities on the land for the day and scheduled the matter for the next hearing on April 3.

In response to the court’s decision, the UoHSU posted on social media, describing the order as a partial victory in their efforts to reclaim the land as part of the university’s ecosystem.

Petitioners also challenged the legality of the land allocation to TGIIC, arguing that the move violates provisions of the Forest Conservation Act. The development activities at the site were launched on March 30, following a government order.

Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, appearing for one of the petitioners, urged the court to step in immediately, pointing out that trees were being felled at a rapid pace.

He highlighted that, according to the Water, Land, and Trees Act (WALTA), no trees taller than one metre can be removed without prior approval from competent authorities.

He emphasized that the extensive deforestation amounted to an “ecological disaster,” and urged the court to instruct the government to submit satellite imagery from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) from the last month as evidence of the scale of destruction.

Another petitioner’s counsel argued that regardless of who holds ownership—whether it is the University of Hyderabad or the state—the environmental damage being caused threatens the flora and fauna in the 400-acre area. He criticized the development drive as driven by “narrow economic interests” at the cost of the environment.

On its part, TGIIC stated on March 31 that it had presented evidence in court establishing its legal ownership of the land. It further maintained that UoH, being a central government institution, does not own any portion of the disputed property.

Telangana Advocate General Sudarshan Reddy countered the petitioners’ arguments, claiming their case relied on Google images, which the Supreme Court has previously ruled inadmissible as evidence. He also reiterated that the land lies outside the official boundaries of Hyderabad Central University (UoH) and has historically been designated for industrial use.

In a related development, Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy expressed gratitude to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav for acting promptly on the BJP’s representation regarding the “illegal deforestation” at the site.

In a post on social media platform X, he lauded the minister’s order directing the Telangana government to submit a fact-finding report and pursue legal action against the TGIIC.

Reddy emphasized that the directive represents a major step towards accountability and environmental protection, ensuring that further ecological damage is prevented and the region’s green cover preserved.