For a person brought up in the countryside of Kerala, reconnecting with nature at the University of Hyderabad (UoH. Also popularly known as Hyderabad Central University - HCU) after spending three years in the cityscapes of Delhi was a profound relief.
The escapade into the wild on the weekends meant escape from the reality — assignments, deadlines and the constant pressure to keep up and get things right!
I vividly remember the first time I explored the hidden treasures at the University of Hyderabad, including Mushroom Rock, Peacock Lake, High Rocks, and Buffalo Lake! A few weeks into the academic journey — an evening after our first internal exam, my friends and I decided to climb the Mushroom Rock.
Standing tall in the wild, echoing a long past trailing from prehistoric times, we could not wait to discover what the 'hype' was all about!
It was around five in the evening when we started — the gentle breeze, the sky painted in streaks of orange and pink and the earth still damp from the previous day's rain; I felt like Alice in Wonderland, a world straight out of the storybooks I grew up reading!
As dusk settled, we reached the foot of the Mushroom Rock. Birds were flying in flocks — hurrying to return to their nests, and the call of peacocks echoed over the vast stretch of green.
Just before nightfall, we were lucky to catch a glimpse of a deer playing peek-a-boo from a distance. It felt serene–humans and animals co-living in the lap of nature, untouched by the chaos of urban life. Soon, we began climbing up the ladder — thoughtfully placed by kind souls for explorers like us!
Atop the rock, I saw an expanse of forest that sheltered diverse flora and fauna amid concrete giants that stood afar. Upon reaching the top, I realised that walking through the bushy trails was absolutely worth it!
I remember running my fingers along the rough surface of the rock, wondering how many students before me had found solace here, how many stories this place had silently held.
Since then, wandering into the haven of greenery and exploring the wilderness has been our source of solitude and relief from the tantrums life keeps throwing. Time stood still as a sense of tranquillity and nostalgia — of spending my childhood amid lush green paddy fields and ponds back in Kerala — swept over me while I found solace in the wilderness of UoH.
Even in summers, while the rest of the city struggled with the heat, strolling around campus made the nights more bearable. No wonder one of my friends, despite bagging admission to his dream university, chose to stay back at UoH for its serenity!
One fine morning, the news spread like wildfire — dozens of earthmovers and bulldozers took over the green spaces to destroy 400 acres of forest land within the university.
Yes, the same peacock lake and the forest area that is abode to countless birds and animals now lie in debris.
The lush green patches have turned barren and empty, and the 'land' looks nothing short of a war zone. It is heart-wrenching to see this safe haven of students and animals fall into ruins.
Students began protesting peacefully a few days back, only to face inhuman suppression by the police. Right from school, children are taught to always stand in arms up for the cause of the environment. But now, standing for the exact cause has only landed them in trouble — with some being detained and others brutally beaten.
It is disheartening to witness the same government and judiciary, in whom people reposed their trust, turn a blind eye to the concerns of thousands.
Though a large chunk of land has already been levelled, I hope it is still not too late if the students and residents of Gachibowli rise in action.
For the cause of the environment and countless species of birds and animals, some of them rare, I hope the judiciary and civil society intervene instead of debating over ownership of land and development vs conservation — before it's too late to repent.
(Amritha V Menon is a student of the University of Hyderabad. Views expressed are her own.)
