The Supreme Court of India has directed the Telangana government to stop all tree-felling activity in the Kancha Gachibowli region close to the University of Hyderabad at once. The court made the order after taking suo motu cognizance of large-scale deforestation in the area, which is inhabited by a number of species of wild animals, eight of which are scheduled animals.
The court ordered the Telangana High Court Registrar (Judicial) to visit the site and file a report. The Chief Secretary of Telangana was also ordered to see that no further tree cutting is done until further instructions are received.
The ruling indicates that the court is worried about the ecological damage and the haste with which the deforestation took place over a weekend holiday.
The decision is viewed as a major setback for the Telangana government, headed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, which had been preparing development projects in the region.
The Supreme Court's intervention comes after protests by students and green activists who pointed out the ecological sensitivity of the region.
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