In a significant move, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the registrar (judicial) of the Telangana High Court to immediately visit the Kancha Gachibowli forest area, where there is a controversial proposal to fell trees on a 400-acre land parcel adjacent to the University of Hyderabad. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih during a session that also addressed related ongoing proceedings in the Telangana High Court.
The Supreme Court has asked for an interim report from the High Court registrar by 3:30 PM on the same day, reflecting the urgency of the environmental concerns raised by the proposed development. In addition, the Supreme Court’s registrar (judicial) has been tasked with promptly communicating this order to his counterpart at the Telangana High Court to ensure immediate action.
Moreover, the bench issued a directive to the Chief Secretary of Telangana, ordering that no tree felling activities should take place in the specified forest area until further orders from the court. This temporary injunction comes amid growing tensions and protests by students of the University of Hyderabad, who oppose the state government’s development plans citing environmental and ecological concerns.
The matter has been scheduled for a follow-up hearing at 3:45 PM on the same day, indicating the court’s intent to monitor this issue closely. The Supreme Court also clarified that its proceedings do not constitute a stay on the ongoing legal considerations of this matter in the Telangana High Court.
This judicial scrutiny comes after the Telangana High Court had previously ordered the state’s Congress government to pause all related developmental works until April 3, in response to the protests and legal challenges presented by environmental activists and the university community.
