HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Union government to file an updated status report on compliance with earlier court orders related to the proposed ELF Radar project in the Damagundam reserve forest area of Vikarabad district.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin also asked the state government to submit its response on compensatory afforestation. The matter was adjourned to January 20, 2026.
The directions came while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed in 2020 by the Ramagundam Forest Protection Joint Action Committee, which has sought cancellation of the project.
The petition challenges a 2014 GO permitting the project and calls for a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment and a public hearing involving affected local communities. The plea also seeks preparation of a People’s Biodiversity Register, recognition of gram panchayats’ rights over medicinal plants and protection of religious and cultural sites within the forest.
The Bench directed the Telangana Pollution Control Board and other authorities to file detailed responses.
During the hearing, the amicus curiae said several key issues raised in the PIL were not properly addressed by the Union government. He flagged concerns over possible radiation impact and cited earlier court rulings that restricted cellphone towers near schools and hospitals.