New Delhi, April 17, 2025 : The Supreme Court of India has warned the Telangana government to restore green cover in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area or be prepared for jail time for senior officials.
The court was angry about trees being cut down and green areas cleared from over 100 acres of forest land in Hyderabad. The judges said the government had only two choices: restore the greenery or face jail for its top officers.
Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the state, said the tree-cutting was a mistake and not intentional. He assured the court that the government would follow all directions. But the bench, led by Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih, made it clear that a proper plan to revive the forest was needed.
“If you want to save your Chief Secretary and other officers from going to jail, you must explain how you’ll restore the land,” the court said. “We’ll go out of our way to protect nature and the environment,” they added.
Singhvi mentioned that some trees were exempt under the law and didn’t need special permission to be cut. But the judges disagreed, saying that no trees could be removed without the court’s approval, especially after an earlier order against it.
The court also said that even for big national projects like border road work or the Char Dham Yatra, permission was taken. So Telangana cannot make excuses.
The judges were shocked to see videos of wild animals running for safety after the green cover was removed. They asked for a report from the state’s wildlife department on how they are protecting animals in that area.
The court gave the state one month to submit a plan to restore the damaged forest.
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