Kancha Gachibowli Row: Hyderabad University Flare Up On Forest Cut Down | 10 Points Explainer

Hyderabad: Hyderabad University students are up in arms against the Telangana government, protesting the razing of forest land spanning 400 acres in Kancha Gachibowli, situated at the heart of the city's IT hub. On Sunday, hundreds of students were detained or taken into preventive custody after they protested against the JCB work occurring in the forest area under heavy police presence. Reports suggest the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana has proposed to auction the land for the development of a multi-infrastructure IT park. However, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday stayed all the work on Kancha Gachibowli land till the hearing in the matter is completed. 

1. Several students of the University of Hyderabad have rallied to save the 400-acre forest land, which they claim was previously part of the university but taken over by the government for industrial development.
2. Both students and citizens in the region have opposed the proposed project, voicing concerns over the clearing of forest land. They allege the government deployed earth movers to clear the area illegally and without conducting any environmental impact assessment, and didn't even wait for hearing on the matter scheduled in the High Court on April 7.
3. When students got the news that the government had started the work at the forest land, they rushed to the site and started raising slogans.
4. Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty stated that around 50 students were taken into preventive custody for causing disruptions and obstructing government authorities from continuing their work.
5. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has accused the opposition of instigating the protests and claimed that the agitation is politically motivated.
6. D. Sridhar Babu, Telangana's IT and Industries Minister, clarified that the land does not belong to the University of Hyderabad, asserting that it is government property.
7. A student alleged the government initiated work before the demarcation of the land and without waiting for the next court hearing on April 7. A PIL has been filed to declare Kancha Gachibowli a national park.
8. Students further claimed that the university's main gate was locked to confine them within the campus so that they could not protest or raise their voice.
9. According to a researcher, Arun Vasireddy, his Ecological Heritage Report on Kancha Gachibowli states that the region's temperature is expected to rise by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius if the forest is cleared. The report highlights that Kancha Gachibowli is home to 233 bird species, including Hoopoes and Oriental Skylarks, as well as butterflies such as Grass Yellows and Darts. The animals in the region are largely self-sustaining, with minimal intervention needed to maintain the forest's ecosystem.
10. Bollywood celebrity Raveena Tandon raised her voice against the proposed project saying Hyderabad’s green lungs are being axed. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Raveena shared a poster with a message that Kancha Gachibowli, one of the last remaining 400-acre green spaces is being action to make way for an IT park. This land is home to 734 plant species, 220 bird species, deers and trees that have stood for centuries.