Discussing the student protests against corporates and deforestation for infrastructure development.
The incredible story that has come about in Indian media recently is how the students of Hyderabad launched a social media campaign as well as protested in person against the Telangana government’s order to auction and clear 400 acres of forest land of Kancha Gachibowli in Hyderabad.
“Kancha Gachibowli should be declared a protected ecological zone instead of being sold for commercial use. The government must recognise the irreversible damage that deforestation in this area will cause and take proactive steps toward sustainable urban planning,” said climate activist Ruchith Asha Kamal.
For now, the Supreme Court’s interim stay offers a reprieve. The upcoming hearing on April 16 will decide whether this pause can become permanent protection and whether a scientific ecological assessment will be mandated before any development resumes.
The movement has inspired similar actions in Warangal, Visakhapatnam, and Delhi, reflecting a national awakening to the need for ecological stewardship in urban planning.
In a time of climate emergency and civic disconnection, the Kancha Gachibowli resistance reminds us that progress must be rooted in care, conscience, and community. The fight is not just to save a forest but to reimagine the city itself—as a shared space where nature and people coexist.
