In a landmark judgment protecting urban green lungs, the Supreme Court of India has decisively upheld the Telangana government's position in a long-standing dispute over a valuable 102-acre forest land in Hyderabad. The apex court set aside a previous High Court order, firmly declaring the Gurramguda reserve forest as government land and dismissing a private claim filed by an individual asserting to be a descendant of Salar Jung III.
A Victory for Conservation: SC Reiterates Forests as National Assets
The Supreme Court, after three days of detailed hearings, delivered a verdict that strongly reinforces the constitutional duty of the state to protect forest land. The bench emphasized that forests are national assets and that belated private claims over notified forest areas hold no legal ground. The disputed land, located in survey number 201/1 of Sahebnagar Kalan village and abutting Vanasthalipuram, is an integral part of the Gurramguda reserve forest, which forest officials value at a staggering Rs 4,000 crore.
The court observed that the subject land has always been government property and that the procedures for its final notification under Section 15 of the Telangana Forest Act were validly initiated. It found the earlier judgments favoring the claimant unsustainable and thus intervened. Consequently, the Supreme Court set aside the order dated October 15, 2014, by the Forest Section Officer (FSO), which had been later confirmed by the principal district judge and the High Court.
Timeline of the Legal Battle and Court's Directives
The case originated when Mir Jafar Ali Khan filed a civil suit against the forest department, claiming succession rights to the land through Mir Yousuf Ali Khan (Salar Jung III), a former prime minister of Hyderabad. The initial claim was rejected by the FSO in 2010, but appellate authorities later remanded and then accepted the claim, leading the forest department to appeal successively up to the Supreme Court.
In its final ruling, the Supreme Court issued clear directives. It ordered the state's Chief Secretary to ensure the completion of all pending proposals under Section 15 of the Telangana Forest Act to formally declare the land as a reserved forest. The court set a strict deadline of eight weeks for this process and mandated the filing of a compliance report with its registry. Rangareddy District Forest Officer Rohit Goppidi welcomed the verdict, stating it conclusively affirms the land's status as a government-managed forest.
Background and Significance of the Judgment
The legal claim was based on the assertion that the land was part of the Arazi-Makta (land grant) of Salar Jung III, whose estate was managed by the Nizam's Court of Wards during his minority. However, the Supreme Court's decision underscores the principle that such historical claims, raised decades later against forest land notifications, are time-barred and not legally sustainable.
The judgment holds immense significance for Hyderabad's environmental future. The court specifically noted the shrinking of lung spaces in all major cities, including the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. By safeguarding this 102-acre tract from private ownership, the verdict ensures the preservation of a critical green zone for the city's ecological health and public well-being, setting a strong precedent for similar disputes across the country.
