By: Sudipta Sengupta
In a landmark move to save Hyderabad’s fast depleting lung space, the Telangana government on Wednesday urged the Hyderabad High Court to scrap the controversial botanical garden project, proposed to be set up within the Kothaguda reserve forest area.
The state said, in its counter affidavit filed in the high court, in response to the Lumbini SLN Spring Welfare Association’s plea submitted on August 14, that the eco-tourism project should be scrapped and the site declared as a national forest. The state government not only agreed with the arguments put forth by the petitioner but admitted that the project was not “in the interest of state and public”. “The projects have been designed to benefit a few private persons.
The developers may exploit the project by sale of rights to outside parties at exorbitant rates as against the negligible amount they pay to the state as it happened in M/S Emaar Properties case which is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.” It further noted: “…there is greater justifi cation to preserve the environmental asset like Kothaguda Reserve Forest for coming generations… it is a rare environmental asset to the citizens of Hyderabad. Its value is incalculable.
The future generations would require more lung spaces and, it is the responsibility of present generation to ensure that no harm is caused to the quality of life of future generations and inter-generational equity should prevail.” The expansive Sri Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy (SKVBR) Botanical Garden project, fi rst took shape in 1999 when the then state tourism promotion board decided to develop an eco-tourism project, complete with night safari and a bird park, in the Kothaguda reserve forest area that falls under Madhapur village. In 2001, the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) Ltd was appointed as the nodal agency for executing the project, which subsequently signed MoUs with Delara Estates Ltd (for botanical garden), TRAC India Ltd (for night safari & eco-park) and Hyderabad Bird Park & Gardens Pvt Ltd (for bird park), for development of the eco-friendly venture. The total area of the project was 274 acres which was given on a lease to these parties for 33 years.
In 2011, the project that had already met with stiff opposition from locals, ran into serious trouble when the Union ministry of environment and forests withdrew the clearance given to the project. In his order, then MoEF minister Jairam Ramesh said that the permission was revoked in view of the project violating environmental norms given that its developers, in complete disregard of the original plan, were constructing huge concrete structures — a hotel with 300 to 400 rooms, a convention centre with a seating capacity of 2,500 and a multiplex with a dozen screens — at the site. He directed APFDC and other promoters to immediately suspend all construction as well as felling of trees at the site. Citing the MoEF order in its counter affi davit, the state government, represented by Raymond Peter, principal secretary (environment & forest, science & technology) said: “…the projects were conceived to expose greenery to the visitors. Subsequently, the project components were modifi ed and certain conditions were relaxed in favour of the developers to suit their commercial interest…”.
The government’s move was predictably welcomed by locals of the area who have been up in arms against the project, for several years now. “We are pleased that chief minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao kept his word as he was the fi rst one to bring the matter to the notice of both Jairam Ramesh and Jayanti Natarajan and pledge his support to protect the forest,” said Prof Haragopal, president, Botanical Garden Walkers Association.
Source: The Times of India