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A 400-acre plot in the IT hub of Gachibwoli in Hyderabad has become an epicentre of a tussle between the Telangana government, students and the Opposition parties. While the government insists that the land belongs to it and would go ahead to auction the land, the students, environmental activists and the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) strongly oppose the government’s decision. They allege that clearing the land for the auction by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), a State government agency that creates developed land for industries and businesses, would destroy the rich biodiversity of a key lung space in the city.
TGIIC issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) on February 28, 2025, to utilise the 400 acres of government land as much as possible according to the master plan. “The current project aligns with the government’s priority to develop world-class IT infrastructure, improve connectivity, and ensure adequate urban space availability,” a top government official said. Part of the controversy is around the ownership of the land, while the other part is about the killing of a forest with diverse flora and fauna.
The area, which has two natural lakes, is home for 220 species of birds, 10 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles and over 700 flowering plants. That a petition on ‘Halt TGIIC’s Auction of 400+ Acres of Vital Forest Land in Kancha Gachibowli’ on the petition platform Change.org attracted over 48,000 signatures in just a few days reflects the uproar over the auction.
“Famed for its eco-diversity, Kancha Gachibowli, is not just a forest, but a green lung, a natural sink making significant contributions to the overall air quality and ameliorating climate change impacts. By absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide, forests are crucial in our fight against global warming,” the petition said, appealing for support from the like-minded people. “We strongly request the concerned authorities to roll back the proposed auction of Kancha Gachibowli forest land by TGIIC.
Safeguarding our environment is not just an ethical commitment but a survival imperative,” it said. The Congress government, which is facing the toughest protest yet, is trying to make light of the allegations on the likely harm that the development on the plot will cause. Announcing indefinite protests against the move, the students’ unions have demanded that the land be registered back to the university.
“We want written assurance that the university will take steps to ensure that this land will be registered under the university. We want all excavators to be removed from the site,” they said. Sharing the visuals of the excavators clearing the land, felling trees, Bhrat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K T Rama Rao blamed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for keeping mum.
“He visited the campus twice in a month during the BRS regime and assured of all support. He protested and agitated with the students seeking justice for Rohit Vemula. But now the Congress government is blocking us from entering the campus,” he said.
With the opposition to the auction gaining momentum, the government is trying to build a narrative, saying the land belongs to it and that they are not going to disturb the natural rock formations. The then Telugu Desam Government allotted the land parcel to IMG Academies India Private Limited for sports facility development in 2004. Two years later, the Congress government cancelled the allotment in 2006 as the beneficiary had not started the project.
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court’s ruling that backed the government’s argument. The government said the land was handed over to the TGIIC for development and allotment for IT companies. It said a survey was conducted in July 2024 for demarcation of the boundaries.
The government also claimed that there are no ‘Buffalo Lake’ or ‘Peacock Lake’ within the 400 acres being developed by TGIIC,“ contrary to some misleading media reports.” With pressure building on the campus, the University of Hyderabad denied the government’s claim on the conduct of the survey. “No survey was conducted in July 2024 by the revenue authorities on the campus to demarcate the 400 acres,” a university spokesperson said.
“The only action taken thus far has been a preliminary inspection of the land’s topography. The University also denies the statement of the TGIIC in the press recently that it has agreed for such demarcation of the land,” he said in a statement. “In fact, no demarcation of land has been done, nor has the University been informed.
The University of Hyderabad, an Institution of Eminence in its Golden Jubilee year has been requesting the State government for alienation of its land,” it said. “The University will forward the representations of the stakeholders to the State government to reconsider the points raised and request the State government to conserve the environment and biodiversity in the area,” it said. Comments.
