Hyderabad Forest Faces Threat from Eco Park Proposal

The Telangana government’s plan to develop the world’s largest eco-forest park over 2,000 acres at Kancha Gachibowli has sparked widespread alarm among conservationists, citizens, and academia.

Despite a Supreme Court stay on tree felling in the area, bulldozers had already moved in to clear portions of this biodiverse zone adjoining the University of Hyderabad. While officials tout the project as a landmark green development inspired by New York’s Central Park, critics argue that the very act of uprooting an existing natural ecosystem in the name of sustainability is both ironic and irreversible. Kancha Gachibowli Forest, often referred to locally as KGF, is a rare urban wildscape consisting of dry and wet deciduous vegetation, savannah stretches, rocky outcrops, and a seasonal lake known as Peacock Lake. It functions as a critical green lung in the rapidly urbanising western corridor of Hyderabad, already choked with IT parks, concrete sprawl, and infrastructure expansion. The area is also part of the campus ecology nurtured by the University of Hyderabad, where generations of students and researchers have documented an impressive record of wildlife, including more than 230 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects.

The government’s initial move to auction 400 acres of the forest for an IT park met immediate resistance from students, environmental advocates, and academics. The protests intensified when heavy machinery began tree felling operations, prompting public outrage and legal intervention. Following this, the Supreme Court issued an interim stay on deforestation, acknowledging the sensitive nature of the dispute. Now, sources indicate that the government is repositioning its strategy—pivoting from industrial to recreational use. Plans are underway to transform the forest and university land into a 2,000-acre eco-forest park featuring an observatory tower, curated wildlife habitats, and global consultancy input. Officials claim the initiative will set a benchmark for sustainable urban planning while generating employment and tourism potential. The university is proposed to be relocated to the futuristic, net-zero “Future City”—a planned 30,000-acre smart township in Telangana.

Environmental experts, however, remain unconvinced. A biodiversity researcher from the university noted that the site supports several species rarely seen elsewhere in the city, including migratory birds like the Siberian ruby-throat and paddyfield warbler. In comparison, Hyderabad’s largest zoo park hosts fewer bird species than what has been spotted within Kancha Gachibowli’s forest limits. Reptiles such as star tortoises and monitor lizards, amphibians, soft-shelled turtles, and even porcupines have been recorded in the area. Ecologists argue that such naturally thriving habitats cannot simply be transplanted or recreated in artificially managed parks.

Furthermore, the lake at the forest’s base—Peacock Lake—is facing degradation from unchecked sewage flow from surrounding urban settlements. Observers say that once-common aquatic birds, such as ducks and bitterns, have already disappeared due to water pollution. This underscores the fragile balance of the ecosystem, which activists fear will collapse under the weight of eco-tourism and architectural vanity. Academic staff from the university assert that conservation does not need rebranding as a tourist attraction. They argue that this forest has thrived under the passive protection of students and faculty for decades without the need for surveillance towers or international landscaping consultants. Turning the space into a constructed ‘green experience’ risks diluting its wild character and opening it up to commercial exploitation.

In contrast, government officials maintain that the eco-park is a visionary solution to Hyderabad’s diminishing green cover, offering a structured and globally visible model of conservation. A senior planning authority reiterated that the park would not only preserve green spaces but also foster academic and scientific partnerships through its management model. However, legal and civic questions linger. Can forest land classified for academic and conservation use be converted into commercial parkland without due environmental impact assessments and public consultation? Should existing wild green spaces be modified in the name of ecological urbanism? And most crucially—what is the cost of progress if it overrides local ecosystems already offering climate resilience and biodiversity?

As Hyderabad continues its march toward a smart city future, the Kancha Gachibowli case has become a flashpoint—where aspirations of sustainability clash with the ground realities of environmental stewardship. While officials may envision a global landmark, citizens on the ground are demanding humility, restraint, and a respect for nature’s pre-existing wisdom. Whether the Supreme Court’s intervention leads to permanent protection for the forest, or whether the state continues to press forward with its eco-park ambition, the Kancha Gachibowli saga is shaping up to be a defining moment in India’s urban green policy. The choices made here could serve as a precedent for how Indian cities balance their ecological inheritance with their developmental ambitions.

Hyderabad Forest Faces Threat from Eco Park Proposal