Telangana HC Halts Work On Land Near HCU

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday ordered a halt to the ongoing work on 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli near the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) till Thursday.

The court gave the interim order while hearing the Public Interest Litigations filed by HCU students and the Vata Foundation.

The court took up the PILs for hearing on Wednesday. While adjourning the hearing to Thursday, the court directed the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) to stop all work.

The counsels for petitioners sought a stay on the works, saying the TGICC was cutting the trees by using several bulldozers.

The petitioners submitted to the court that the government in June last year issued a Government Order, allotting 400 acres of government land to the TGIIC. They argued that even if this is government land, the authorities concerned have to follow the Supreme Court orders. The court was told that heavy vehicles were being used to uproot trees and to level the ground.

The counsels for the petitioners contended that as per the Supreme Court order, a committee of experts has to be constituted to remove trees from a forested land. If the land inhabited by wildlife is to be levelled, an expert committee has to visit that place and study it for a month.

The petitioners told the court that the land has three lakes, several rocks, and many species of animals and birds, and they need to be protected. The court was told that authorities were acting against the Supreme Court guidelines, and for the last few days, a tense situation has been prevailing there.