Hyderabad students protest over land auction, while government plans to develop next Silicon Valley

On the morning of March 13th, a crowd gathered on the East campus of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), holding a banner that read: "Resist the land grab, reclaim our University." As the slogans accompanied the dafli beats, the crowd marched toward the iconic Mushroom Rock— a distinctive mushroom-shaped rock formation in the campus. 

A day before, the JCBs had cleared the area designated for auction. As a sign of protest, the saplings were planted on the same land. 

The University of Hyderabad (UoH), established in 1974, is one of the 56 central universities, known for its academic excellence. More than 2000 acres of campus, with two perennial and three seasonal lakes, hosts several important wildlife too. For students, encountering deers, peacocks, coucal, pigs and porcupines is part of the learning process.

"The university land plays a major role in balancing microclimate, reducing temperature extremes, and enhancing air quality. It acts as a buffer against climate change by mitigating heat waves, improving local precipitation patterns, and supporting biodiversity," said Dr. Devleena Tiwari, an assistant professor of Earth Sciences at UoH.

The campus is located in the Gachibowli neighbourhood of Hyderabad, a.k.a. the financial district. For some, this land expansion was almost inevitable. "This land has become a hot property, gaining commercial value when the Gachibowli area has rapidly transformed into an IT and business hub over the past two decades," said Dr. E. Sathya Prakash, Professor at Department of Communication at UoH. Hyderabad city has positioned itself as the next silicon valley to attract investments, and several IT companies. This is the same area where Google is constructing its biggest office outside the United States.

"The congress-led Telangana government's move to appropriate this 400 acres land for private interests is nothing less than a betrayal of public education and environmental sustainability," said Nihad Sulaiman, General Secretary of the University’s Students Union. The university has had this piece of land for more than five decades.

Following the March 13th protests, a  joint action committee was formed, including students and staff members, to plan further action of protest. Students tied the banner “Resist Land grab, reclaim our university” on the mushroom rock to symbolize their protest.

Rich in Biodiversity 

“Every evening, a Greater coucal— Large, dark, crow-like bird with a distinctive tail, found in Asia—comes to the tamarind tree on my window side”… another student recalled, “the screams of peacocks in the morning….even two snakes were caught from my room." 

According to a press statement by save city forest, University of Hyderabad students, faculty, and alumni have publicly documented mammals such as the Spotted deer, Indian mongoose, Porcupine and also a four-horned antelope; reptiles including the monitor lizard, python, spectacled cobra, common krait, saw-scaled viper, and star tortoise; and birds like the eagle owls, spotted owls, and Indian pitta. The forest also shelters water and migratory birds like Flamingos, Pelicans, Storks, Ibis, Cormorants, Harriers and Herons and Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Black-naped monarch and Verditer flycatchers are few of the rare migratory birds that visit this landscape.

“Some of these species, such as peafowl and kingfishers, are under the Schedule-I Species of  Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which mandates the highest level of protection. At the same time, others like Hanuman Langur and Indian Flying Fox, etc., stay under schedule II. These lists indicate the sensitivity of the ecosystem,” said Ruchith Asha Kamal, a climate activist. 

The eBird, a global database for bird sightings has observed 233 bird species so far at University of Hyderabad.

"The land up for auction is the vital catchment area of Peacock Lake. With sewage already flowing in from nearby Gachibowli Stadium and other apartments, further concretization will disrupt the lake’s water recharge, turning it into a sewage pool." said E Sathya Prakash, a faculty member from UoH. 

Peacock Lake, Buffalo Lake, Mermaid Lake, and other seasonal ponds enrich the university's ecosystem. These interconnected lakes are the major source of water in the campus. All the Biota in this region depend on these lakes for their water needs.

Dr. Tiwari asserted that this natural geographic land amidst the vast urban surroundings is critical in influencing the local climate. At the same time, fostering a cooler, cleaner canopy helps mitigate the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Ecologists argue that this stance contradicts the Telangana government's recent HYDRA (Hyderabad Lakes Development and Restoration Authority) project, which aims to restore lakes for water rejuvenation.  

The Telangana Socio-Economic Outlook reports a rise in nighttime temperatures in Hyderabad compared to surrounding rural areas. This phenomenon is the city's Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.

The trees, lakes, and rocks on the campus bring different shades to the campus over the seasons. "The monsoon is the best time on campus, and fishing in the lakes and hiking the slippery rocks are adventurous," shared Gowri Lakshmi (21), a masters student in the communication department.

According to a list published by Hyderabad Urban Development Authority in 1998 regarding the 'Heritage buildings and Heritage precincts', Mushroom Rocks stands 4th, highlighting the significance of the region's geological history. 

The Way to Auction

Cut to 1974, when Andhra Pradesh– Telangana was part of the undivided state— allotted 2324 acres of land to the central government to build a university. In subsequent years, the ruling governments took away land for various projects including IIIT, electrical substation, bus depo, municipality office and other educational institutions.

According to a court document, on August 9, 2003, the Andhra Pradesh government signed an agreement with IMG Bharata to develop sports facilities. Later, in February 2004, they sold 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli village, Ranga Reddy district, to the company for ₹50,000 per acre.

In 2006, the government revoked the allotment, reclaiming the land after the company failed to act, which led to a legal battle between the state and IMG Academics Bharath. Last year, the Telangana High Court ruled in favour of the state government. The judgment said that the state's executive power aligns with its legislative authority and that the sale deed under Article 298 does not override the Legislature's power to enact laws. This ruling paved the way for the auction. The Telangana State Industrial Corporation (TGIIC) is leading the open auction, setting the base price at ₹10,000 crore.

 "Even if it is the government's discretion on what to do with their land, They are supposed to be sensitive to environmental issues,” said Prof. Bhangya Bhukya, University Teachers Association President.

The press release further read that it is preparing an environmental management plan to ensure the preservation of rock formations, including mushroom rock. At the same time, the lakes remain excluded from the plan.

Rising Resistance 

On 15th March, the students' union publicly burned the press release by the government—claiming it was misleading about the consequences of land acquisition. "Many civil society organizations have extended their solidarity to our fight; we will go to any extent to claim our land," said Nihad, the General Secretary of Students Union.

Several activist organizations, and individuals joined under the name: Save City Forest. The aim is to urge citizens and policymakers to oppose the auction. Thousands even signed an online petition opposing the land sale.

Since the 13th March protests, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) has been composed of the Students Union, Teachers Association, Workers Union, and Non-teaching staff association. They represent both the grassroots movement and broader political efforts to oppose the auction. They wrote an open letter to Congress leader, and Member of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi seeking immediate attention to the issue.

The movement gained its momentum through the collective participation of students. 

On March 19, the student union called for 'Chalo Admin,' a protest against the UoH administration. The demands were simple: the resurvey of the land and get it registered in the university's name. "We are demanding the government register all the remaining land of the campus in the university name; only then can we conserve it," added Prof Bangya.

Other student organizations Students Federation of India, All India Students Association, Muslim Students Federation, Ambedkar Students Association etc. are conducting discussions, Mashal Juloos, (Torch procession) and protest gatherings. The students union announced a series of X (formerly known as Twitter) storms– a series of posts to create attention on social media– with the hashtag 'save HCU land.'

“There are no deers no tigers, only some cunning fox trying to hinder the state's development,” commented State Chief Minister Raventh Reddy in the state legislative assembly.

This is the fight between the people, and the government they elected. For some, this would be a fight against the environment and development. After years of the campus's existence, the government today argues that the land was never formally transferred to the university and remains state property. How do you fight the mighty opposition i.e. the state, with all its arsenal. 

For students of the Hyderabad University the answer is simple: persist.

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