Disposed

In Re News Item Titled Hyderabad Trees Razed Across 20 Acres at Rajendranagar Students Protest Against Deforestation Appearing in Telangana Today Dated 06.07.2025 v. Telangana Pollution Control Board through Its Member Secretary and Others

NGT17 Feb 2026Original Application No. 178/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Tribunal closed an original application regarding the felling of trees at an agricultural university campus in Hyderabad. It noted that while some trees under WALT Act exemptions were to be removed, the proposal to fell 114 non-exempt trees was withdrawn by the university, and the Forest Department confirmed no permission was granted. This concluded the proceedings regarding the remaining tree

What did the court decide?

The Original Application No.178 of 2025 (SZ) is closed after recording that no permission was granted for the felling of the remaining 114 trees as the university withdrew the proposal.

In Re News Item Titled Hyderabad Trees Razed Across 20… — Environment and Pollution | NGT (2026)

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Item No.5:-

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BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL SOUTHERN ZONE, CHENNAI

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Tuesday, the 17^th day of February, 2026.

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[Through Physical Hearing (Hybrid Option)]

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Original Application No.178 of 2025 (SZ)

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[Earlier O.A. No.345 of 2025 (PB)]

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IN THE MATTER OF:

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Tribunal on its own motion Suo Motu based on the news item published in Telangana Today dt.06.07.2025, titled “Hyderabad: Trees razed across 20 Acres at Rajendranagar, students protest against deforestation”

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WITH

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1. Telangana Pollution Control Board

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Through its Member Secretary, Telangana Pollution Control Board, A-3, Paryavaran Bhavan, Sanath Nagar Road, Sanath Nagar Industrial Estate, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 018.

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2. District Magistrate, Hyderabad

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Lakdikapul, Hyderabad – 500 004.

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3. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

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Through its Commissioner, CC Complex Tank Bund Road, Lower Tank Bund, Hyderabad – 500 063.

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4. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai

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Ist and IInd Floor, Handloom Export Promotion Council, 34, Cathedral Garden Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai – 34.

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5. Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University Through its Registrar, Administrative Office, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 030.

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[R5 - Suo Motu impleaded as per Order dt.04.09.2025]

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Page 1 of 4

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6. The District Forest Officer

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Office of the District Forest Officer, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana – 501 510.

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[R6 - Suo Motu impleaded as per Order dt.02.12.2025]

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...Respondent(s)

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For Applicant(s): Suo Motu. For Respondent(s): Mr. T. Sai Krishnan for R1. Mrs. H. Yasmeen Ali for R2, R5 & R6. Mr. D. Sreenivasan for R3.

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Judgment Reserved on: 04^th February, 2026.

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CORAM :

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HON’BLE Smt. JUSTICE PUSHPA SATHYANARAYANA, JUDICIAL MEMBER

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HON’BLE Dr. PRASHANT GARGAVA, EXPERT MEMBER

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J U D G M E N T

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Delivered by Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member

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1) The above-captioned Original Application was registered suo motu by the Principal Bench of this Tribunal as Original Application No.345 of 2025 (PB) based on a news item published in Telangana Today dated 06.07.2025, titled “Hyderabad: Trees razed across 20 acres at Rajendranagar, students protest against deforestation” . Thereafter, the matter was transferred to the Southern Zone Bench for further consideration and was re-numbered as Original Application No.178 of 2025 (SZ) .

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2) The matter pertains to the large-scale felling of trees over approximately 20 Acres of land at the Agricultural University Campus, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. As the newspaper article reported that a significant number of trees, including mature and ecologically important species, were cut down overnight and that students had expressed concern regarding the manner in which the felling was carried out, suo motu cognizance was taken.

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Page 2 of 4

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3) The notices were issued to the respondents through the Tribunal, including Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University ( PJTSAU ) and the District Forest Officer, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana.

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4) In this regard, the Registrar of the PJTSAU has filed its report dated 15.11.2025 , which states that the university was established as per G.O. Ms. No.7 of Agricultural and Cooperation Department, Government of Telangana, dated 31.07.2014, adapting the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University ( ANGRAU ) Act, 1963. The university campus is filled with invasive weeds and exotic species such as Eucalyptus and Subabul. Hence, the Vice Chancellor of the University requested the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority ( HMDA ) to take up the plantation of valuable native tree species of Telangana in the university campus. Accordingly, the university and the HMDA had conducted a survey and enumeration of the tree species on 17.01.2025 and recommended the removal of Eucalyptus and Subabul trees so as to take up the plantation of valuable native tree species. Accordingly, it was decided:

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(i) to retain 280 + 148 + 202 + 239 = 869 trees in 4 blocks respectively;

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(ii) to remove 3,521 trees, of which 521 Nos. are Eucalyptus and 3,000 Nos. are Subabul trees with prior information to the Forest Officer, Ranga Reddy District; and

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(iii) to remove 114 No. of trees in 4 blocks with the permission of the Forest Department.

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5) The recommendations were forwarded to the university by the Forest Department. The Forest Officer had informed that G.O. Ms. No.23 dated 05.07.2017 contemplates the procedure to be followed for according felling permissions. It is stated that species like Subabul and Eucalyptus are exempted under the WALT Act, 2002. Therefore, no formal felling permission is required from the Forest Department.

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Page 3 of 4

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6) There is yet another report dated 02.02.2026 filed by the Registrar of the PJTSAU, which categorically stated that 114 No. of trees, for which permission has to be obtained from the Forest Department, would remain untouched and will not be cut and removed. Of the 114 Nos. of trees, a few of the species are not exempted under the WALT Act, 2000 and a few are exempted under the WALT Act, 2000. In view of the above, the University had addressed the letter to the District Forest Officer, Ranga Reddy District, stating that the university has decided not to remove the above-referred 114 No. trees and the same would be retained as they are.

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7) In this regard, the District Forest Officer, who was impleaded as the additional 6^th Respondent, has filed an affidavit dated 03.02.2026 stating that the required permission for felling 114 trees was not granted, as the proposal itself was incomplete. The affidavit further specifically states that photographic evidence and enumeration of the said 114 trees have been undertaken and that the trees are intact on the ground.

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8) From the above, it is clear that no permission has been granted for the felling of 114 trees, as PJTSAU itself has given up the proposal. Since the inspection and verification conducted by the Forest Department confirm that no such permission has been granted for cutting the said 114 trees, the same is recorded. In the event that the Forest Department proposes to grant such permission, reasons for doing so shall be recorded before issuing any orders.

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9) With the above directions, the Original Application [O.A. No.178 of 2025 (SZ)] is closed.

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Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, JM

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Sd/Dr. Prashant Gargava, EM

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Internet – Yes/No All India NGT Reporter – Yes/No

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O.A. No.178/2025 (SZ) 17^th February, 2026. Mn.

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Page 4 of 4

In Re News Item Titled Hyderabad Trees Razed Across 20 Acres at Rajendranagar Students Protest Against Deforestation Appearing in Telangana Today Dated 06.07.2025 v. Telangana Pollution Control Board through Its Member Secretary and Others

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

In Re News Item Titled Hyderabad Trees Razed Across 20 Acres at Rajendranagar Students Protest Against Deforestation Appearing in Telangana Today Dated 06.07.2025 v. Telangana Pollution Control Board through Its Member Secretary and Others

Case brief

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What the court decided

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