Hyderabad’s intensifying conflict between urban development and environmental preservation, the Telangana government’s plans to auction 400 acres of forest land in Kancha Gachibowli—one of the city’s last surviving green lungs—have triggered a wave of civic unrest.
Located on the periphery of Hyderabad, the forest, rich in dry and wet deciduous vegetation, savannah grasslands, and rocky outcrops, became the centre of a confrontation between bulldozers and protestors last month. University students, faculty, and environmentalists mobilised swiftly, blocking further destruction and drawing national attention to what they allege is a systematic erasure of urban ecology under the pretext of development. The protests gained traction when Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy controversially dismissed the biodiversity value of the region during an Assembly session, stating the land had “no deer, no tigers, only a few cunning foxes” obstructing progress. His comments, perceived as tone-deaf by many citizens and ecologists, sparked further outrage, intensifying calls for a sustainable and inclusive model of urban planning. As bulldozers began clearing the tree cover to make way for a proposed IT park, demonstrators formed human chains, were detained by police, and subsequently took their case to the judiciary. The Supreme Court intervened with an interim stay on tree felling on April 3, putting the government’s aggressive approach under legal and public scrutiny.
What followed was an unexpected pivot. Sources within the state administration revealed to Mongabay India that the ruling Congress government is now exploring a radically different proposal—a 2,000-acre eco-forest park that could potentially be the largest in the world. The proposed site includes not just the disputed Kancha Gachibowli land but also the premises of the University of Hyderabad, which may be relocated to a planned Future City—envisioned as a 30,000-acre net-zero, smart urban zone. The eco-park, inspired by New York’s Central Park, is expected to serve as a global biodiversity haven with the tallest observatory tower and an ecosystem designed by international experts. The project, officials suggest, aims to reconcile urban growth with ecological stewardship and generate employment in sustainability-driven sectors. While this vision of a world-class urban forest appears ambitious and potentially transformative, it has opened up new dilemmas. The relocation of the University of Hyderabad from its decades-old campus has raised questions about academic autonomy, heritage, and institutional displacement. Students and faculty have expressed apprehension over the lack of clarity regarding infrastructure, continuity of academic activity, and environmental displacement that such a transition may entail. At the same time, conservationists remain cautiously optimistic, urging transparency, community involvement, and ecological integrity in the planning process if the proposal is to achieve its stated objectives.
As Hyderabad continues its fraught transition into a smart city, the saga of Kancha Gachibowli serves as a crucial litmus test for how Indian cities balance economic ambition with environmental responsibility. Whether the government’s new eco-park proposition signals a genuine shift in policy or merely a cosmetic fix to a public backlash remains to be seen. For now, the city holds its breath, rooted in protest and hope, as bulldozers idle and visions of a greener future take shape on contested soil.
Hyderabad Faces Growing Concerns Over Loss of Urban Green Patches
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