HYDERABAD: Environmentalists, nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, along with the Save City Forest group, have strongly opposed the proposed auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli village, Rangareddy district. They have urged the Telangana government to declare the land parcel a national park, similar to the KBR National Park in the heart of Hyderabad.
Despite widespread protests and appeals from citizens, the state government is proceeding with plans to auction the land through the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC).
Activists argue that the ownership of the 400-acre urban forest is irrelevant. In the landmark TN Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India case, the Supreme Court ruled that any land with forest cover qualifies as “forest land”, regardless of official notification. The Save City Forest group insists that Kancha Gachibowli, as the green lungs of new Hyderabad, must be granted national park status to prevent irreversible ecological damage.
Kancha Gachibowli Forest and KBR Park (390 acres), though separate, share similar biodiversity, including birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, flora and geological features. Both are home to Schedule-I protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Given its ecological significance, any form of construction — whether through auction or other means — is illegal, said Shivani U, a member of Save City Forest.
In 1990, the undivided Andhra Pradesh government acquired a large tract of land and assigned it to the Forest department for development as a ‘Green Park’ to serve as Hyderabad’s ‘lung space’. This park, later named KBR National Park, was officially designated in 1998 through GOMs No. 187. Recognising its ecological value, the government moved swiftly to protect its biodiversity, eco-sensitive zones, landscapes, and water bodies, she added.
Environmentalists argue that the government and TGIIC must acknowledge that Kancha Gachibowli forest belongs to the people as common property under natural law.
“No amount of clarification on the auction plan can justify isolating rock formations, lakes, and their interconnected channels from the entire forest ecosystem,” said Shivani.
She further pointed out that clearing forest land containing Schedule-I species without conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or obtaining Environmental Clearance constitutes a serious violation of wildlife and environmental law, regardless of land ownership or government tendering.