In a major judicial setback for the Telangana government, both the Supreme Court and the Telangana High Court have intervened to stop tree-felling and land-shifting activities on a 400-acre site of land located inside the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus.
The Telangana High Court led the charge, with a stay order on Thursday instructing the state government to put a stop to deforestation at once. The Supreme Court soon followed with an affirmation, suspending land-clearing activities in hours. These successive verdicts have now stalled the government’s plans for industrial expansion.
Telangana government claimed long ago possession of these 400 acres with an intention to use the land for industrial purposes. But such an action received opposition from the students, eco-activists, civil society, and political opposition parties as well. This action has been criticized on grounds that deforestation and land grabbing are contravening environment legislation and also the autonomy of the university. Even in face of public resistance, the state administration proceeded further with its activities, leading to legal recourse.
Hearing several petitions, the Telangana High Court fixed the next hearing for October 7, directing the government to hold all activities in abeyance until then. In the meantime, agitated lawyers went to the Supreme Court, appealing to it to hear the case on an emergent basis.
In the Thursday hearing, the Supreme Court was firm in its position against the government, condemning it for the dereliction of due legal process.
Condemning the government’s unilateral actions, the Supreme Court made it very clear that “the law cannot be taken into one’s own hands.” It also termed the Hyderabad Central University land dispute a serious and sensitive issue, directing authorities to stop all deforestation and land-clearing operations in Gachibowli immediately.
Also, the Supreme Court announced that it had accepted the case suo motu, i.e., on its own initiative, due to the seriousness of the issue. For now, no construction, land-clearing, or tree-felling is allowed on the controversial land.
With both the courts deciding against the Telangana government, this case has become a big legal and political issue. The pressure is now building up on the state government, which has to overcome legal challenges, public resistance, and environmental issues before taking any further action.
This legal fight is likely to have long-term implications, affecting not just government policies regarding land acquisition but also environmental protection measures in urban development projects.
