Hyderabad: A new report from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), formed by the Supreme Court, has revealed more serious violations in the destruction of forest land in Kancha Gachibowli, a green area within Hyderabad.
The CEC submitted its second report on Thursday, exposing how about 100 acres of lush forest were cleared illegally. This area falls within a 400-acre stretch of ecologically rich land. According to the report, this land should be considered a “deemed forest” under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the T N Godavarman Supreme Court ruling.
Despite these protections, large-scale deforestation happened in violation of court orders and environmental laws.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) confirmed that over 56% of the 409.12-acre area had healthy forest cover. Specifically, 7.08% was categorized as Very Dense Forest, 31.89% as Moderately Dense Forest, and 17.17% as Open Forest. These numbers are much higher than the average forest cover in the state and district.
One of the most alarming findings was the illegal cutting of 125 trees by Govindu Krishna, a contractor from Delta Corporation. He went beyond the approved limit of 1,399 trees. This happened while under the supervision of TSIIC (Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation).
Officials only imposed a small fine of Rs 5 lakh, and seized three JCB machines used in the illegal activity. Environmental activists have called this punishment too lenient given the extent of damage.
Even after the Supreme Court became involved, basic wildlife protections like camera traps, water troughs, and fire monitoring systems were only put in place after CEC intervention. The GHMC was also asked to remove stray dogs, which were threatening native animals in the area.
To prevent further damage and restore the ecosystem, the CEC made several strong recommendations:
– Officially declare the land as forest area.
– Transfer control to the Forest Department.
– Replant native trees on the destroyed 100-acre patch during the upcoming monsoon season.
– Designate the area as a Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
– Protect all nearby lakes as wetlands under the Wetlands Rules, 2017.
– Stop sewage discharge into the University of Hyderabad ecosystem within 12 months.
– Form a new Expert Committee including scientists, ecologists, IT, and remote sensing specialists.
– Apply clearer and stricter forest definitions for all government-owned land.
– Set up a high-level interdepartmental team to carry out the Supreme Court’s directions.
The report highlights serious failures in forest protection and calls for urgent steps to reverse the environmental damage in this critical biodiversity zone.
