Telangana Government forms committee to address Kancha Gachibowli land issue
Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to form a ministerial committee to resolve the long-standing dispute over the Kancha Gachibowli land and determine a way forward.
The committee will include Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Minister for IT and Industries Sridhar Babu, and Minister for Transport Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. The panel will consult with stakeholders, including the University of Hyderabad’s executive committee, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), civil society organizations, student groups, and others involved in the issue.
The announcement was made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The land in question, located near the University of Hyderabad campus, covers 400 acres. The Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) had earlier proposed to auction this prime land, valued at around Rs. 10,000 crores, as part of its resource mobilization efforts. However, this plan has faced strong opposition from students and environmental groups.
In March 2025, the University of Hyderabad students launched an online petition on Change.org to protest the proposed auction. The petition, which has garnered over 10,500 signatures, warns that the land is not just a forest but a crucial green lung, contributing significantly to the city’s air quality. The petition urges the Telangana government to halt the auction, citing concerns over the potential destruction of local biodiversity.
Additionally, a group of wildlife enthusiasts formed the “Save City Forests Collective” and called on citizens, environmentalists, and policymakers to prevent the TSIIC from moving forward with the proposal.
The controversy also centers on the University of Hyderabad’s role in facilitating land clearing activities. The university, established in 1974, had a clause that allowed the state government to reclaim land not used for academic purposes. Over the years, parts of the land were repurposed for various purposes, including the construction of IIIT, a stadium, a power station, and a school.
In response to the ongoing dispute, the University of Hyderabad Students’ Union (UoHSU) launched an indefinite protest on April 1, 2025, demanding that the university administration cease facilitating land clearing and remove police personnel and construction machinery from the campus. The union also called for greater transparency, including the release of meeting minutes and ownership documents related to the land.
On March 30, 2025, construction work commenced on the land under Survey No. 25 in Kancha Gachibowli, prompting a confrontation between students and TSIIC workers. The police reported that a group of students, some former university members, attacked officials with sticks and stones, leading to injuries for an Assistant Commissioner of Police. In response, 53 people were arrested but later released on personal bonds. The police also clarified that no lathi charge had been used against students and advised against spreading misinformation.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court intervened on April 3, 2025, ordering the Telangana government to halt all developmental activities on the Kancha Gachibowli forest land. The court expressed concern over tree felling and questioned the urgency behind the land clearing. The state government was also instructed to submit a report on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted before the development began.
Earlier in the day, the Telangana High Court’s registrar had submitted a report highlighting the damage to the land’s ecosystem. The Supreme Court also directed the state to stop all activities related to land clearing, with the exception of tree protection, until further orders.
The dispute has drawn attention from national environmental authorities, with the Union Ministry of Environment seeking a report from the Telangana government regarding the alleged illegal vegetation clearance on the 400 acres.
