Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) conducted a field inspection of the contentious Kancha Gachibowli land located within the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus on Thursday, following complaints of serious environmental violations.

The inspection team, led by Siddhant Das and comprising CP Goyal, Sunil Limaye, and JR Bhatt, visited the 400-acre site situated in Survey No. 25, Gachibowli. The committee reviewed the area's vegetation and wildlife, assessing whether the land qualifies as a "deemed forest."

Following the site visit, the CEC proceeded to the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute in Jubilee Hills, where they heard representations from a five-member HCU delegation consisting of students and faculty—Umesh Ambedkar, Nihad Sulaiman, Akash Kumar, Joseph J, and Siddharthan S.

The delegation presented detailed documentation on the land’s ecological significance, including reports and time-stamped images of three deceased deer found recently, to counter claims of AI-generated content. They also requested permission to access the site for independent observation. The Committee asked them to submit a formal email request, stating a decision would be taken in the coming days.

Later in the day, the Committee received reports from multiple political stakeholders. A delegation from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), including former minister Harish Rao, met the committee at the Taj Krishna Hotel and submitted relevant documents and visuals. Representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including MPs Etala Rajender, Raghunandan Rao, and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, also presented their findings.

The CEC then engaged in discussions with state government officials and received a comprehensive report on the land in question. A high-level meeting was also held with Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari.

On Friday, the Committee will continue consultations with NGOs, student organizations, and other stakeholders who have raised environmental concerns related to the site. As mandated by the Supreme Court, the CEC will submit its final report by April 16, which is expected to play a pivotal role in determining the future of the Kancha Gachibowli land.