Supreme Court Warns Telangana Over Kancha Gachibowli Forest Clearance
New Delhi/Hyderabad:
The Supreme Court has postponed the Kancha Gachibowli forest case hearing to August 13, raising serious concerns over the alleged clearing of forest land in the name of development.
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, along with Justices Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi, strongly criticized the Telangana government for reportedly clearing nearly 400 acres of forest land in Kancha Gachibowli overnight using bulldozers, without proper permissions.
The Chief Justice said, “Sustainable development doesn’t mean destroying forests overnight with 30 bulldozers. You can’t damage the environment under the excuse of development.”
The court warned that officers responsible for ignoring restoration rules could even face jail time.
The case is a suo motu (self-initiated) action by the Supreme Court after reports of mass tree cutting in the area surfaced.
Senior advocate K Parameshwar, appointed as amicus curiae (friend of the court), requested more time to review the state’s reply. He also noted that private parties involved plan to submit their responses. The court accepted the request and scheduled the next hearing for August 13.
Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the Telangana government, which has submitted a counter-affidavit outlining steps taken to restore the affected forest area and protect the environment.
The court has made it clear: development must not come at the cost of the environment, and any misuse of power will have consequences.
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