Earth moving machines encroaching over the Kancha Gachibowli land; student-led protest.
Hyderabad, Telangana: Haunting visuals from Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli have surfaced—bulldozers tearing through 400 acres of lush green cover, peafowls crying as their home vanishes, and students facing brutal police lathi charges for protesting.
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday halted – for 24 hours – work on 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli near the Hyderabad Central University. The interim order was passed as the court heard PILs, or Public Interest Litigations, filed by students and the Vata Foundation, an NGO.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sought a detailed account of the state’s actions, demanding both a factual report and an action-taken report.
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The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders on Wednesday, April 2, filed a complaint with the Telangana Forest Department against the deforestation on the Kancha Gachibowli land, ranging around 400 acres.
The party accused the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) of violating environmental laws to facilitate real estate enterprise. In the complaint, the BRS cited violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Led by RS Praveen Kumar, the party raised concerns over the impact on endangered species, soil erosion, water pollution, and biodiversity loss, stating that the state government was attempting to convert a pristine natural habitat into a commercial real estate venture, ignoring the critical environmental role of the land.
The party’s Working President KTR accused Rahul Gandhi and state Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of hypocrisy. He pointed out that when Congress was in Opposition, Gandhi had visited the university multiple times and participated in student protests demanding justice for Rohith Vemula. But now, he criticised, when the party is in power, it was preventing students from protesting.
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Massive Protests Led by University Students
Following a series of ongoing protests over the weekend, the students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) continued their agitation against the government’s decision on auctioning off the 400 acres of land. Nearly 53 students were detained on Sunday for blocking authorities before they were released.
Faculty members joined them on Wednesday with UoH Teachers’ Association marching from Ambedkar Auditorium to the east campus in solidarity with the students.
Slogans such as “Police go back”, “Ladenge, Jeetenge”, and “Awaaz Do Hum Ek Hai”.
In response, police resorted to lathi charging the students.
Hyderabad Central University ki Zameem Chhini ja rahi hai
Where is @RahulGandhi and so called self declared environmentalists? #Telangana pic.twitter.com/Ruv5lfGamM
— Lala (@Lala_The_Don) April 1, 2025
Heavy barricades were set up near the east campus to prevent students from reaching the forest area which was being cleared.
The students boycotted classes, accusing the university administration of betraying them by facilitating land-clearing activities for the state government and allowing a “brutal” police crackdown on peaceful protesters.
Their demands include immediate removal of police personnel and earth-moving machinery from the campus premises. They seek a written assurance that the land in question will be formally registered under the university’s name. The student organisations also sought the release of minutes from the Executive Committee meeting on the land dispute.
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The 400-Acre Kancha Gachibowli Land
Located in the IT hub of Hyderabad, the 400-acre forest cover is being auctioned with investments estimated around nearly Rs 50,000 crore when the land is fully occupied and operational. The IT Park project is expected to give job opportunities to 5 lakh people.
But at what cost?
The Kancha Gachibowli land, which borders the UoH, is home to over 455 species, including the peacocks and deer, other protected species and unique rock formations.
The green cover provides the city with much-needed urban lung space and a home for wildlife there.
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Telangana Government Claims the Lands As Theirs
Accusing certain political leaders and realty groups of misleading students, the Telangana government claims that the land had been transferred to the state in 2004 and reaffirmed in 2006.
Officials state that revenue records clearly indicate that the land is not designated as forest land. Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) stated that it legally proved its ownership in court and warned that any dispute over the matter would constitute contempt of court.
The government claimed that a land survey was conducted in July 2024, during which boundaries were finalised in the presence of university officials and their consent.
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University Denies
The university contradicted the state government’s assertion, claiming that no official survey was conducted in July 2024. It claimed that the survey by the revenue authorities on the campus to demarcate the 400 acres of land resumed by the Telangana government in 2006 had not taken place.
“The only action taken thus far has been a preliminary inspection of the land’s topography, UoH Registrar Devesh Nigam said in a statement.
However, the university’s claims were countered by official sources pointing out that there were documents which show that the land in question in Kancha Gachibowli was handed over to the state government in 2004.
