Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy today wrote an open letter to CM Revanth Reddy and requested for the immediate withdrawal of the auction process of 400 acres of government land in Kancha Gachibowli village from Serilingampally mandal of Rangareddy district.
In a letter, he said the State government was intending to auction through the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) in the name of mobilizing financial resources.
“It is learned that the Telangana State Government has decided to auction 400 acres of government land in Survey No. 25(P) in Kancha Gachibowli village, Serilingampally mandal, Rangareddy district, through the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). In the past, when you were the PCC president, you spoke against the sale of government lands keeping in mind the future generations and public interests.
Let us not sell government lands to our relatives for survival. If we sell government lands, we will not have land to build anything for the needs of the people in the future, whether it is government hospitals, schools, or even cemeteries if we die,” he said.
He also said the 400 acres of the government land that the CM has decided to auction is adjacent to many flora, fauna, and lakes that are a source of biodiversity.
It is home to 734 plant species, 220 bird species, including peacocks, migratory birds, spotted deer, four-horned deer, wild boars, mountain lions, Indian star tortoises, and many other naturally formed and very attractive rock formations, including Mushroom Rock, according to many prominent figures.”
He said although the 400 acres of government land that you have decided to auction does not fall under the Forest department, this land surrounded by green trees and diverse species of life is a source of oxygen for the city.
If such land is filled with concrete structures, there is a possibility that the water resources in the land will decrease, causing damage to the species concerned, and posing a major threat to the environment and the city. This damage that you are going to do to the environment is irreparable”.
It is especially worrying that the Indian star tortoises and their habitats within this land are under threat. Under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Indian star tortoises come under the protected species list. Under this act, along with the protection of the species concerned, their habitats should also be protected.
These star tortoises have been included in the vulnerable list of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) since 2016. That is, it refers to the endangered species. Moreover, these star tortoises have also been included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) since 2019.
This means that these species have also been provided with the highest level of protection from international trade.
Therefore, under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the government should also consider the possibility of declaring the 400 acres of land that you have now decided to auction and the 800 acres of land adjacent to it as a national park.
Areas like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, and Hi-Tech City, which once resembled forests and hills in the city, have become like a concrete jungle due to urbanization and have lost their natural appearance. They have filled the entire area with concrete structures without leaving a single tree, stump or hill in the area.
As if this were not enough, now in the name of financial resources, even lands that are part of ecological diversity are being converted into concrete forests. This is unacceptable to anyone, including the people living locally, students studying at the Hyderabad Central University next to that land, and environmental lovers,” Reddy said.
He claimed that the greenery in the state capital city of Hyderabad was completely decreasing and vacant spaces were disappearing for many reasons. He said that Playgrounds, walking tracks, parks and ecological spaces in the city were becoming alienated while noting that It is the responsibility of all to protect these places at least for future generations.
He requested the CM to adhere to his previous views on the sale of the government lands and to protect the environment and biodiversity, including the naturally formed hills, without causing any damage, and to immediately stop the auction process of this 400 acres of government lands.