Hyderabad: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), appointed by the Supreme Court, commenced its examination of a 400-acre area at Kancha Gachibowli adjacent to Hyderabad Central University on Thursday. This follows allegations of unauthorized tree cutting that allegedly breaches environmental regulations.

During their two-day assessment, the CEC plans to engage with officials, student organizations, NGOs, and other relevant parties, with a report due to the Supreme Court by April 16.

Led by Siddhant Das, the CEC includes members C.P. Goyal, Sunil Limaye, and J.R. Bhatt, who arrived in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.

Accompanied by senior officials, the committee members conducted a field visit to evaluate the situation on the ground.

In light of recent student protests regarding tree removal by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), police have implemented extensive security measures on the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus and surrounding areas.

Access to the East Campus road has been restricted to prevent gatherings.

The TGIIC has placed signage at the site, asserting that the land is owned by the Telangana government.

As part of its investigation, the CEC is scheduled to meet with officials, including Chief Secretary Santhi Kumar, later today. The inspection and discussions with various stakeholders will extend into Friday.

Established in 2002 by the Supreme Court, the empowered committee is tasked with overseeing the enforcement of the court's directives, addressing non-compliance issues related to encroachments, working plans, compensatory afforestation, and other conservation matters.

This visit is conducted under the Supreme Court's directive, which has halted tree cutting and other activities by the TGIIC.

On April 3, the apex court expressed serious concern over the alleged extensive destruction of greenery by the TGIIC, which is said to violate environmental standards.

A bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih questioned the urgency behind the development activities, including tree clearing.

These remarks followed a report submitted by the Registrar of the Telangana High Court, who had visited the site on the same day.

The registrar's report indicated that approximately 100 acres had been cleared. The bench deemed this a grave issue and inquired whether the necessary permissions had been obtained.

The court noted that even if the land is not classified as forest, the CEC's approval is required for tree removal. It instructed the CEC to inspect the site and provide a report by April 16.

Additionally, the apex court requested the state government to submit an affidavit and scheduled further hearings for April 16.

This matter was brought to the court's attention after senior advocate K. Parmeshwar, serving as amicus curiae in forest-related cases, raised concerns about the tree cutting.

The state government has already allocated the land to TGIIC for development and auctioning for IT park establishment, asserting that the area does not contain forest land.