Tue Apr 01 20:07:27 UTC 2025: ## Hyderabad University Students Protest Land Auction, Claiming Endangered Species on Site
**HYDERABAD, April 2, 2025** – Students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) are protesting the Telangana government’s plan to auction 400 acres of land near the campus for IT park development. The protest, marked by raised slogans and the presence of earth-moving machinery, escalated after a delegation met with state ministers to highlight the presence of endangered species on the land.
A delegation including UoH faculty, environmentalists, and activists presented evidence to Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other ministers, indicating the presence of six species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. These include the Indian peafowl, Bengal monitor lizard, Indian rock python, Indian star tortoise, osprey, and four-horned antelope. The delegation also revealed the presence of the Indian flapshell turtle, a species not mentioned during the meeting.
However, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R.M. Dobriyal, claimed ignorance of the endangered species, stating the area hadn’t been classified as forest land. He cited the recent commencement of deemed forest identification under a Supreme Court ruling. The delegation also questioned the lack of biodiversity assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment for the project, as well as potential violations of the WALTA Act, 2002, regarding tree felling.
The delegation presented four demands: immediate withdrawal of earth-moving machinery, revocation of cases against students, a review of the auction proposal, and the transfer of the 400 acres to the UoH. While the Principal Secretary, Land Revenue, argued the land did not belong to the university, citing past land exchanges, former UoH professor and activist G. Haragopal countered that the land had been considered part of the university since its inception in the 1970s.
The ministers, while acknowledging the concerns raised, did not offer any immediate assurances. The future of the land and the fate of the endangered species remain uncertain pending further deliberation.
First Piper 