In Telangana, Mahatma Gandhi’s timeless warning — “Nature has enough to provide for man’s needs, but not for his greed” — rings louder than ever. As Hyderabad’s relentless urban expansion swallows its few remaining green lungs

Mahatma Gandhi’s warning — “Nature has enough to provide for man’s needs, but not for his greed” — is more relevant than ever; especially in Telangana, where Hyderabad’s relentless urban expansion and environmental neglect expose a stark hypocrisy. While the INC routinely pays homage to Gandhi’s ideals through symbolic tributes, its actions under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy tell a different story.

The Gandhian vision of a ‘constructive programme,’ emphasising sustainability and self-reliance, has been discarded in favour of unchecked development and vested interests, accelerating ecological degradation.

The consequences are undeniable — Telangana faces extreme heatwaves, unpredictable rainfall, and a growing public health crisis, all fuelled by environmental mismanagement.

Yet, instead of prioritising sustainable policies, the government continues to sideline ecological concerns for short-term political and economic gains. This growing disconnect between rhetoric and reality raises a pressing question: how much longer will the people and wildlife — of Telangana bear the cost of this manmade neglect?

Despite these evident challenges, the government has ordered the felling of approximately 450 acres of forest land in the Gachibowli area, in the Rangareddy district in Hyderabad, near the Hyderabad University.

This operation, conducted from midday and extending under the cover of night, has triggered widespread public outcry, expressing huge concern over the displacement of vast wildlife including peacocks and potentially endangered species, and the destruction of a vital green belt within the city.

Social media bleeds with images of ecological carnage, a testament to the callous disregard of the principles of mutual co-existence between nature, humans and wildlife. Mahatma Gandhi’s words seem to lay in the dust — his principles betrayed. This isn’t development; it’s a calculated assault on the very lifeblood of our planet ignoring and failing the vision outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda for 2030.

Even by the wailing cries of the Indian National Bird, the peacocks in hundreds and thousands with other species — some endangered — having been abandoned from their natural habitat did not create a flutter in the hearts of the who’s who to halt “Operation Kancha Gachibowli” and stop this manmade destruction; so much so that the Supreme Court had to intervene and directed the state government to immediately halt further deforestation.The court also ordered the Registrar (Judicial) of the Telangana High Court to visit the site and submit an interim report by 3.30 pm on April 3, 2025.

The order comes after five days of the ravage caused by the state government at Kancha Gachibowli forested area. “Until further orders, no activity of any sort, except the protection of trees already existing, shall be undertaken by the State,” said a bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih. This is not merely about the loss of trees; it’s about the erosion of a complex ecosystem, a delicate web of life that sustains the city’s ecological health. The images and videos circulating online of deer, peacocks, and other scheduled animal species, who are now forced to flee, is a poignant symbol of the cost of unchecked development.

The razing of 400 acres of vital green space in Kancha Gachibowli — a sanctuary for countless species — for the sake of yet another allegedly IT park, is a blatant betrayal of any pretence of environmental stewardship. This isn’t “development.” It is an ecological vandalism dressed up in the shiny rhetoric of progress.

The state’s environmental policies — if they even exist beyond hollow pronouncements — are being shredded like the very trees they were meant to protect.

It further raises several key questions — Where was the rigorous assessment of alternatives? Where was the consideration for the irreplaceable biodiversity sacrificed at the altar of profit? What measures are being taken to mitigate the environmental impact of deforestation and address the displacement of wildlife?

Finally, how does the government reconcile its actions with the broader discourse on climate change and environmental responsibility?

This is a calculated act of environmental destruction, a direct assault on the very foundations of sustainability.

Moreover, the auctioning off of this land is a declaration: profit trumps preservation. This verdant enclave, a vital green lung in the city’s concrete sprawl, is now a battleground, where the survival of wildlife and the sanctity of ecological balance hang precariously in the balance.

A comprehensive and transparent response from the Telangana government, including a thorough environmental impact assessment and a clear articulation of its development strategy, is necessary to address the public’s concerns and ensure accountability. Furthermore, the incident highlights the need for a consistent and integrated approach to environmental policy, one that transcends symbolic gestures and translates into concrete action.

India’s international leadership in biodiversity protection and deforestation — is facing a critical juncture. The delicate balance between development and environmental preservation requires a sophisticated approach, one that foregrounds sustainable pathways and enforces responsibility for the irreversible harm done to vital ecosystems. The situation in Kancha Gachibowli holds global significance in the purview of conscious efforts to mitigate climate change, serving as a crucial measure of India’s commitment to its environmental principles and its unwavering pursuit of sustainability, in alignment with the philosophy of “Vasudaiva Kutumbhakam” (The World Is Our Family).

To conclude, it is apt to reflect on this poem by famous Urdu poetess Zehra Nigah:

“Suna hai jangalon ka bhi koi dastoor hota hai.

Suna hai sher ka jab pet bhar jaaye to woh hamla nahin karta.

Darakhton ki ghani chhaav mein jaa kar let jaata hai, Hawa ke tez jhonke jab darakhton ko hilaate hain, To maina apne bachche chhod kar, kauwe ke andon ko paron se thaam leti hai.

Suna hai ghonsle se koi bachcha gir pade to saara jangal jaag jaata hai.

Suna hai jab kisi nadi ke paani mein, Baya ke ghonsle ka gehuaan rang leheraata hai, To nadi ki rupahli machhliyaan usko padosan maan leti hain.

Kabhi toofaan aa jaaye, koi pul toot jaaye to, Kisi lakdi ke takhte par, Gilahri, saanp, bakri aur cheetah saath hote hain. Suna hai jangalon ka bhi koi dastoor hota hai.”

The poem essentially contrasts the perceived harmony and natural justice of the jungle with the chaos and injustice of human cities. It describes a jungle where predators show restraint, where different species care for each other’s young, and where even natural disasters bring temporary unity.

It is a pleading to the divine to impose the “laws of the jungle” on their city, longing for a world governed by compassion and fairness rather than human-made systems that have failed. In the spirit of the poem’s plea for nature’s order, Hyderabad’s citizens have risen, a testament to humanity’s capacity for compassion and shared responsibility. It is now or never.

(The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. Views are personal)