KANCHA GACHIBOWLI DEFORESTATION: HYDERABAD’S URBAN FORESTUNDER THREAT
AUTHOR – YASWANTH .A* & ANKITHA REDDY S*
* STUDENTS AT PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY BANGALORE
BEST CITATION – YASWANTH .A & ANKITHA REDDY S, KANCHA GACHIBOWLI DEFORESTATION: HYDERABAD’S URBAN FORESTUNDER THREAT, ILE MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, 4 (2) OF 2025, PG. 152-159, APIS – 3920-0007 | ISSN – 2583-7230.
ABSTRACT
The Kancha Gachibowli deforestation crisis in Hyderabad, Telangana, exemplifies the tension between urban development and environmental conservation in rapidly urbanizing Indian cities. In February 2025, the Telangana government’s plan to auction 400 acres of this biodiverse urban forest for IT and infrastructure development led to the clearing of nearly 2 square kilometers of vegetation, felling an estimated 40,000 trees. Home to 734 plant species, 292 faunal species, and ancient geological formations, Kancha Gachibowli serves as a critical carbon sink, air purifier, and groundwater recharge zone. The deforestation, executed during the Ugadi-Ramzan holiday weekend, triggered widespread protests from University of Hyderabad students, environmentalists, and civil society, amplified by social media activism. Legal interventions by the Telangana High Court and Supreme Court halted further destruction, questioning the land’s classification as “Kancha Poramboke” (waste land) and its status as a “deemed forest” under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The government’s subsequent eco-park proposal and cancellation of the auction face skepticism due to irreversible ecological damage. This article examines the ecological, social, and legal dimensions of the crisis, drawing on literature highlighting urban forests’ role in climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and environmental governance. The research question explores how this crisis reflects broader challenges in balancing development with conservation, with implications for sustainable urban forest governance in India.
KEY WORDS: Kancha Gachibowli, deforestation, Hyderabad, urban forest, biodiversity, ecological conservation, urban development, Telangana, University of Hyderabad, protests, Supreme Court, deemed forest, Forest Conservation Act, carbon sink, air quality, groundwater recharge, wildlife protection, social media activism, eco-park, environmental governance, legal intervention, urban heat island, IT development, land classification