Hyderabad: -The University of Hyderabad students’ union on Thursday met and submitted a memorandum to the members of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and urged them to secure the biodiversity of UoH lands.

During the meeting, apart from submitting representation, students also presented an Ecological Heritage Compilation and report prepared by Dr Joseph Joby that consists of a complete report on biodiversity of the 400 acres land of Kancha Gachibowli. The CEC was apprised about the ongoing clearance of green cover and its proposed auction to private companies for commercialisation which threatens the ecological integrity of the land, the well-being of the wildlife, and the future of biodiversity sustained by this ecosystem.

The authorities were informed of all activities that took place recently, despite the matter being in the Telangana High Court.

A PIL was filed in the HC, and the court had directed the state government to present detailed explanations regarding the legality and environmental implications of the proposed sale of land on April 7.

Despite the clear injunction of the High Court, the government sent scores of JCBs on March 30 and cleared almost half of the 400-acre land when the Telangana High Court directed the government to stop the tree felling. The government stopped the tree-felling activities in the area only after the Supreme Court’s intervention on April 3, the students alleged.

The students appealed to transform these 400 acres of land into a legally protected conservation reserve, ensuring its biodiversity and ecosystem are preserved for the future generations and urged officials to allow the stakeholders of the university to accompany them during their visit to the site of deforestation so that they can represent the full extent of damage.

Explaining on the effects of biodiversity, students highlighted that the land is home to 237 bird species, including migratory birds, and also endangered species like the Indian Star Tortoise, Spotted Deer, Indian Rock Python, and Monitor Lizards.

It is a catchment area for vital water sources such as SR Lake, Peacock Lake and Buffalo Lake, which support local wildlife and replenish groundwater. Clearing this forest for commercial development will destroy critical habitats and violate several environmental protection laws. The auctioning of this carbon sink existing in the middle of the city to private companies for commercialisation will be an ecological disaster, they claimed.