HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has permitted the Indian Navy to proceed with its Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radar project in Damagundam, located in Vikarabad district, while retaining oversight of environmental compliance.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin clarified that there would be no restriction on execution of the project. However, the PIL will remain pending for six months to review the progress of compensatory afforestation undertaken by the Forest department. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 5.
The PIL, filed in 2020 by the Damagundam Forest Protection JAC, challenged the allocation of nearly 2,900 acres of reserve forest land for the project. The court had earlier appointed amicus curiae Vivek Jain to inspect afforestation sites and submit a status report.
Based on field visits to Thippapur in Vikarabad and Amangal in Rangareddy district, the report indicated a satisfactory level of plantation growth and survival. The Forest department, in its additional affidavit, reported an overall plant survival rate of 89.88%, with over 8.23 lakh saplings surviving out of more than 9.16 lakh planted during 2024–26.
The affidavit further outlined plans to replace approximately 92,000 dead plants in the upcoming monsoon and to undertake fresh plantation across additional areas in the next two years. The court also took note of assisted natural regeneration efforts across degraded forest land.