SC Reprimands Telangana Over Kancha Gachibowli

The Supreme Court today reprimanded the Telangana government over extensive tree-felling in the Kancha Gachibowli area of Hyderabad, and said that strict action could be taken against the involved officials.

The court directed officials of the government to prepare a detailed restoration plan and outline measures to safeguard wildlife in the affected forest region.

A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih reviewed the suo motu case concerning the reported environmental violations. The court scheduled the next hearing for May 15, granting the State four weeks to respond to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report and directing the State's wildlife warden to clarify what actions were being taken to protect displaced animals.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Telangana, informed the court that all development activities in the region had been suspended. However, Justice Gavai asked whether the necessary permissions from the forest authorities had been secured in the first place. Singhvi replied that most of the tree felling had received approvals, with only a few trees not part of that.

In response, senior advocate Parmeswar contended that the government had adopted a self-certification process and had unilaterally decided what tree species were allowed to be felled.

Justice Gavai said that the court's primary concern was the presence of numerous bulldozers and the clearing of 100 acres of forest. He questioned the urgency behind conducting the clearance during a three-day holiday period, especially using bulldozers. He also expressed concern over videos showing wildlife fleeing for safety from stray animals.

The court also said that it would not accept interpretations of environmental law from bureaucrats or ministers, citing its 1996 ruling that prohibited tree felling, even on private land.

Justice Gavai warned that the Chief Secretary could face serious consequences if a viable restoration plan was not submitted. "Otherwise, we cannot predict how many of your officials might end up in temporary custody. Our priority is to safeguard the environment. Under Article 142, we are prepared to take extraordinary measures," he said.

The court also acknowledged the CEC report, which alleged that land had been mortgaged to private entities without proper disclosure in affidavits.