Absence of forests will increase temperature from 1-4 degree C in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli: Ecological heritage report

It is home to 233 bird species, while KBR National Park’s diversity has 150, and much lesser for Mrugavani National Park and others around city

Hyderabad: Clearing the Kancha Gachibowli Forest (KGF) will be a major jolt to Gachibowli and surrounding areas, which are already struggling to breathe, as absence of the forest will increase the temperature from 1 to 4 degrees centigrade throughout the area, highlighted a report on KGF.

As per an Ecological Heritage report KGF prepared by a researcher Arun Vasireddy, the KGF is home to 233 bird species, while KBR National Park’s diversity has 150, and much lesser for Mrugavani National Park and others around Hyderabad.

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“Unlike most national parks and reserve forests, the animals are self-sustaining without any intervention. It costs nothing to maintain this green space but costs Rs 1000s of crores to create even the smallest version of it,” it said.

Highlighting that the KGF has largest grasslands of all the green spaces in and around the city, the report brought to fore that the forest is last home for grassland birds like the Indian Hoopoes, Oriental Skylarks butterflies like the Grass Yellows and Darts. “The grassland is also the last home for the Indian Roller (Telangana’s State Bird) within Hyderabad”.

The report highlighted Murricia hyderabadensis, a unique spider, which is endemic to the KGF, discovered in 2010. “It is found nowhere else in the world,” it said.

Preserving KGF ensures the well-being of the lake and hillock ecosystem that Hyderabad thrives upon. According to the report, the KGF has the largest native grasslands of all the green spaces and only home to Hyderabad’s endemic tree-trunk spider ‘Murricia hyderabadensis’.

As for tree diversity, the KGF has over 72 species with only forest home to Marking Nut (Semecarpus anacardium) known as Chaakali Jeedi (Washerman’s Nut) in and around Hyderabad. This tree is extensively sought by the washermen community for decades, it said, adding that “with these trees gone, there is a history and culture that is wiped out”.

Urging Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Ministers UoH alumni Bhatti Vikaramarka and D Sridhar Babu, Forest Minister Konda Surekha to visit the KGF, Vasireddy wanted the State government to prepare an authentic and reliable environment impact assessment report.