Relocate University of Hyderabad to Save Forests, Lakes & Green Soul
The Issue
Hyderabad was once a beacon of harmony between nature and urban life, with teak forests stretching across the Deccan, shimmering lakes like Osmansagar and Himayatsagar sustaining the city, and nine agro-climatic zones nurturing biodiversity. These natural treasures—forests, lakes, and water bodies—were not just scenic; they were the city’s lifeline, regulating floods, cooling the air, and replenishing groundwater. But today, that legacy is being brutally dismantled, replaced by concrete jungles, political greed, and unchecked exploitation.
A few years ago, the state government abolished GO111, opening lakhs of acres around Hyderabad to rampant construction. This decision was not about progress—it was a betrayal, benefiting politicians and Tollywood superstars who acquired biodiversity-rich lands to build lavish farmhouses, host rave parties, and engage in illegal activities like drug consumption. Places like Shankarpally and Janwada, once green havens, have turned into concrete wastelands, destroying catchment areas and threatening water flows to the city’s lakes and rivers. Lung spaces have been obliterated by skyrocketing towers, while governments have even eyed sacred drinking water sources like Osmansagar and Himayatsagar for hotels and recreation centers. The death of Lotus Pond lake, now buried under political party offices and hotels in Jubilee Hills, is a stark reminder of this betrayal.
The plunder doesn’t stop there. Hyderabad Central University (HCU), sprawling across hundreds of acres of what was once forest land, has become a symbol of misplaced priorities. Instead of fostering education, these vast areas are being misused for illegal activities, littered with beer bottles, plastic waste, and drug-related debris hidden in bushes. We ask: Why does HCU need such expansive land within city limits? When there are demands to relocate defense establishments that encroached on Hyderabad’s space, why should institutions like HCU remain untouched? It’s time to vacate HCU and shift it beyond city limits, restoring its land as a massive lung space for Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, projects like My Home and surrounding developments continue to choke the earth, strangling natural water flows and biodiversity. Forests—the city’s last line of defense against urban heat, floods, and droughts—are being auctioned off for more concrete tombs. This isn’t development; it’s destruction. Hyderabad has already lost 171 lakes to projects like the Outer Ring Road, 25 lakh trees to hollow promises of progress, and countless acres of wild land to greed. If we lose our forests and water bodies, we invite a future of fiercer floods, deeper droughts, and an unlivable city. History and science warn us: when nature is erased, people suffer. We are living that warning now.
Our Demands:
Relocate Hyderabad Central University (HCU) from its current forest land, restoring that area to its natural state as a green lung for the city.
Demolish encroaching structures, including the My Home project and other developments that strangle water flows and biodiversity, and reclaim those areas for reforestation and natural restoration.
Protect and revive key water bodies like Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, and other lakes, ensuring they are never sacrificed for commercial interests.
Launch a citywide reforestation and conservation campaign to bring back Hyderabad’s lost forests, lakes, and catchment areas, root by root and drop by drop.
Hold accountable those responsible for the destruction of green spaces, including politicians, celebrities, and developers who have profited from this ecological plunder.
Hyderabad’s green heart is not a relic to be forgotten—it’s a battle we must wage. These forests, lakes, and catchment areas are our shield against climate collapse, our inheritance from the past, and our promise to the future. Sign this petition to stop the auctions, dismantle the concrete chokehold, and resurrect the Hyderabad that once thrived as nature’s pride. We’ve lost too much already—let’s fight for what remains before it’s too late.
Goal:
Restore Hyderabad’s biodiversity, secure its water future, and reclaim its green legacy as a sanctuary for all time.
Sign Now to Save Hyderabad’s Green Soul!
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The Issue
Hyderabad was once a beacon of harmony between nature and urban life, with teak forests stretching across the Deccan, shimmering lakes like Osmansagar and Himayatsagar sustaining the city, and nine agro-climatic zones nurturing biodiversity. These natural treasures—forests, lakes, and water bodies—were not just scenic; they were the city’s lifeline, regulating floods, cooling the air, and replenishing groundwater. But today, that legacy is being brutally dismantled, replaced by concrete jungles, political greed, and unchecked exploitation.
A few years ago, the state government abolished GO111, opening lakhs of acres around Hyderabad to rampant construction. This decision was not about progress—it was a betrayal, benefiting politicians and Tollywood superstars who acquired biodiversity-rich lands to build lavish farmhouses, host rave parties, and engage in illegal activities like drug consumption. Places like Shankarpally and Janwada, once green havens, have turned into concrete wastelands, destroying catchment areas and threatening water flows to the city’s lakes and rivers. Lung spaces have been obliterated by skyrocketing towers, while governments have even eyed sacred drinking water sources like Osmansagar and Himayatsagar for hotels and recreation centers. The death of Lotus Pond lake, now buried under political party offices and hotels in Jubilee Hills, is a stark reminder of this betrayal.
The plunder doesn’t stop there. Hyderabad Central University (HCU), sprawling across hundreds of acres of what was once forest land, has become a symbol of misplaced priorities. Instead of fostering education, these vast areas are being misused for illegal activities, littered with beer bottles, plastic waste, and drug-related debris hidden in bushes. We ask: Why does HCU need such expansive land within city limits? When there are demands to relocate defense establishments that encroached on Hyderabad’s space, why should institutions like HCU remain untouched? It’s time to vacate HCU and shift it beyond city limits, restoring its land as a massive lung space for Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, projects like My Home and surrounding developments continue to choke the earth, strangling natural water flows and biodiversity. Forests—the city’s last line of defense against urban heat, floods, and droughts—are being auctioned off for more concrete tombs. This isn’t development; it’s destruction. Hyderabad has already lost 171 lakes to projects like the Outer Ring Road, 25 lakh trees to hollow promises of progress, and countless acres of wild land to greed. If we lose our forests and water bodies, we invite a future of fiercer floods, deeper droughts, and an unlivable city. History and science warn us: when nature is erased, people suffer. We are living that warning now.
Our Demands:
Relocate Hyderabad Central University (HCU) from its current forest land, restoring that area to its natural state as a green lung for the city.
Demolish encroaching structures, including the My Home project and other developments that strangle water flows and biodiversity, and reclaim those areas for reforestation and natural restoration.
Protect and revive key water bodies like Osmansagar, Himayatsagar, and other lakes, ensuring they are never sacrificed for commercial interests.
Launch a citywide reforestation and conservation campaign to bring back Hyderabad’s lost forests, lakes, and catchment areas, root by root and drop by drop.
Hold accountable those responsible for the destruction of green spaces, including politicians, celebrities, and developers who have profited from this ecological plunder.
Hyderabad’s green heart is not a relic to be forgotten—it’s a battle we must wage. These forests, lakes, and catchment areas are our shield against climate collapse, our inheritance from the past, and our promise to the future. Sign this petition to stop the auctions, dismantle the concrete chokehold, and resurrect the Hyderabad that once thrived as nature’s pride. We’ve lost too much already—let’s fight for what remains before it’s too late.
Goal:
Restore Hyderabad’s biodiversity, secure its water future, and reclaim its green legacy as a sanctuary for all time.
Sign Now to Save Hyderabad’s Green Soul!
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Petition created on 3 April 2025