Hyderabad: Student protest erupts after trees razed for Revanth’s plantation event

A midnight tree-clearing operation at PJTAU’s botanical garden sparked student protests, drawing parallels to the Kancha Gachibowli deforestation row. Students alleged mass felling ahead of a plantation drive, while the university claimed only harmful species were removed.

Hyderabad: In what appears to be a re-run of Kancha Gachibowli forest land deforestation, a large number of trees were cleared by the State government in the botanical garden of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) here on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

As many as 20 bulldozers reportedly rolled out under the cover of darkness on the PJTAU campus to remove trees and level the ground for Vana Mahotsavam (plantation drive) to be launched by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday. Several videos of heavy machinery clearing the land went viral on social media.

This move comes at a time when the issue of Kancha Gachibowli forest land, abutting the University of Hyderabad campus, deforestation by the State government was yet to die down.

The issue created a huge uproar from students, teachers, environmentalists, and society. In fact, the Supreme Court, which took up the matter, expressed serious concerns and directed State government officials to restore the forest or face jail.

As the bulldozers rolled out on the PJTAU campus, a large number of students residing in the campus hostels gathered at the botanical garden and staged a protest. Chanting slogans ‘Vruksho Rakshati Rakshitah’ (One who protects trees is protected), students questioned as to why such massive trees were being removed late in the night.

As students’ numbers swelled, police personnel were deployed who disperse the protesters. According to students, police restricted them from venturing out of their hostel rooms as the bulldozers cleared the trees in around 20 acres.

Students alleged that the university, HMDA, and forest department officials were behind clearing the trees and leveling the land.

“We raised an alarm and staged a protest when we came across the heavy machinery clearing the trees in the botanical garden, which has nearly 500 species of plants, including medicinal ones.

We are told that a natural resource unit for gene banks is being planned in space. However, what was the need to use heavy machinery to clear the land late in the night,” said Raj Kumar, a student of PJTAU.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, PJTAU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aldas Janaiah said only Subabul and Eucalyptus trees, which have an adverse impact on the environment and soil, were cleared for plantation drive.

“Only those two tree species, planted around 60 years ago, in five out of 40 acres, have been removed. We are ready with 3,000 saplings for the plantation drive,” he said.

In a press release, the PJTAU Vice Chancellor clarified that there was no police deployment in the university hostels. “Students and staff are peacefully going about their activities and no one should believe any rumors,” he added.