Restore Kancha forest, or face prospect of going to jail, SC tells T CS

Time of India

16-05-2025

New Delhi: Reading the riot act to Telangana govt, Supreme Court Thursday said it would hold the state chief secretary and other officials accountable and send them to jail if the part of Kancha Gachibowli forest adjacent to Hyderabad Central University that was leveled for an information technology centre is not restored with afforestation in two months.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justice A G Masih asked senior advocate A M Singhvi, who appeared for Telangana govt and attempted to persuade the court about the necessity of setting up the IT centre with protection of forests, whether any forest clearance was taken before trees were felled in a "tearing hurry on a long weekend knowing fully well that the SC's forest bench would not be available for hearing the matter".
"Did you (Telangana govt) have environment clearance? If you want to save yourself from contempt, take restoration measures.
Otherwise, your chief secretary must get ready to go to jail," the CJI-led bench cautioned. The bench was not moved when Singhvi said huge afforestation and plantation activities are being undertaken by the state. "Not in the area where the deforestation was carried out," remarked Justice Masih .
While posting the matter, which the court had taken cognizance of suo motu, for further hearing on July 23, the CJI said, "If you try to defend your action, the chief secretary and dozen other officials responsible for deforestation will stand in danger of contempt."
"You took advantage of a long weekend and brought in a dozen bulldozers to cut down the trees and level the forest area. Prima facie it appears pre-planned. You did so knowing fully well that the bench was not available on the long weekend. Why didn't you start work on a Monday," the bench asked.
Singhvi said he would like to persuade the court about IT and forest going together. CJI Gavai said we are for sustainable development but in this case the state must restore the land to its original shape during the monsoon period.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
It was amicus curiae in forest matters, senior advocate K Parameshwar, who brought the
in the forest patch, leading SC to send a HC registrar for an on-the-spot inquiry. In his report, the registrar informed the court that around 100 acres of forest land has been destroyed even though wildlife was seen in the area.
SC had taken umbrage at Telangana govt's audacity in carrying out deforestation when the state on March 15 had constituted the forest committee, as directed by the SC on Feb 3, for identification of forest areas which have not been so notified. SC had barred all govts from diverting any forest areas for developmental projects till such enumeration of forest land was completed.