The Telangana High Court (HC) is set to hear a writ petition today, April 2, challenging the destruction of 400 acres of forest land in the Kancha Gachibowli area located near the University of Hyderabad (UoH), popularly known as the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus.
The case will be heard by a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara.
The petition was filed by Kalapala Babu Rao, a retired scientist from Hyderabad, seeking a Writ of Mandamus to declare the state government's action as unlawful and in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The petition challenges the Government Order (GO) issued on June 26, 2024, by the Revenue Land Administration-II department. It contends that the respondents failed to constitute an Expert Committee under Rule 16(1) of the Forest Conservation Rules, 2023, to prepare a consolidated record of forest lands, including forest-like areas.
The petitioners argue that this omission is arbitrary, unconstitutional, and contradicts the Supreme Court's order dated March 4, 2025, in Ashok Kumar Sharma & Others vs Union of India & Another.
The petitioners urge the court to set aside the contentious government order and direct authorities to declare the disputed 400-acre forest land as a National Park under Section 35 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. They allege that the deforestation carried out by government agencies disregards established environmental laws and judicial mandates.
