HYDERABAD: After days of protests by students and environmentalists, the Telangana govt is now looking to scrap its original plan to auction 400 acres of land at Kancha Gachibowli. Instead, the entire 2,000 acres, including the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus, will now be turned into what the govt calls, “one of the world’s largest eco parks”. The plan envisages relocating UoH, a central university, to Future City which is to be set up on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The move comes a day after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue and stayed all activity on the land, including the felling of trees. The central govt too had sought details of the plan to auction the land next to UoH.
Telangana govt sources told TOI that under the new plan, UoH would be compensated with 100 acres in Future City along with a Rs 1,000-crore investment to create a new campus. The proposed eco park is envisioned as an environmental tourism destination, modelled on some of the world’s largest urban green spaces.
If the plan falls into place, the park would have among the tallest observatories with observation decks at different levels. The eco park would be designed using a micro-ecosystem approach, with plans to study soil types and biodiversity, establish wildlife conservation zones, plant diverse tree species, and develop green tourism attractions such as walking trails, cycling tracks, and eco-friendly visitor spaces. Dedicated areas would also be set aside to protect wildlife. Additional features include a bird park, butterfly garden, turtle park, and open-air gyms.
“We would like to bring in specialists from around the world,” an official told TOI, adding that an expert committee would study similar projects worldwide before finalising the master plan. The governing council—comprising environmental scientists, activists, students, academia, and conservationists—would oversee the project’s administration.
The protests, backed by activists, local residents, and students, raised concerns about deforestation of Kancha Gachibowli, which, according to protesters, has already suffered significant ecological damage due to recent tree-felling.
When contacted, UoH officials said they had not received the offer yet. “If we receive any such offer, it will be placed before the executive council, which will take the decision,” said a senior official from UoH.
The student union, on the other hand, said that 100 acres in exchange for over 1,600 acres was not a fair deal. “Why can’t they let things be as they are? We are fighting a battle for our land and university and we will not let it go so easily,” said Umesh Ambedkar, president of the UoH student union.
