Kancha Gachibowli Land Row: SC Defers Hearing to May 15, Orders Wildlife Protection
The apex court ordered the Wildlife Warden of Telangana to immediately implement measures to protect wildlife affected by deforestation across 100 acres in the area.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing on the Kancha Gachibowli land issue to May 15, following a voluminous report submitted by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) after inspecting the site. The court granted the Telangana state government four weeks to respond to the report.
"You have to come up with a plan as to how you will restore those 100 acres (of land)," the bench told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for Telangana.
Justice Gavai said the top court was surprised to see videos where animals were running for shelter.
"For the protection of the environment and ecology, we will go out of the way," Justice Gavai said.
While posting the matter for the next hearing on May 15, the bench orally said, "In the meantime, not a single tree will be felled there."
On April 3, the top court took suo motu cognisance of the state's tree felling drive in the Kancha Gachibowli forest and called it a "very serious" matter.
It asked the Telangana government to explain the "compelling urgency" for clearing the large tree cover and stayed any future activity till further orders
Students of the University of Hyderabad were protesting against the state government's plans to develop the 400-acre land parcel bordering the university.