Shifting of High Court to displace painstakingly developed biodiversity park

Scientists & researchers dejected over Telangana High Court shift to Budvel, which includes 35-40 acres of land from PJTSAU developed as agri-biodiversity zone.

The decision to shift the Telangana High Court to Budvel leaves a fraternity other than the protesting advocates extremely dejected -- the scientists and researchers of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar.

The 100-acre site chosen for establishment of the High Court constitutes at least 35-40 acres of land from the PJTSAU, which has been developed over the years as the agri-biodiversity zone for research and education purposes.

Recently, during a visit by the Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and D. Sreedhar Babu along with three High Court judges, a representation was made for protection of the Agri-Biodiversity Park developed on the land.

The park stands on a 130-acre site, of which about 65-70 acres is Mulagund lake, which has not yet been notified by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

The remaining land was developed around 2008 under the All India Coordinated Research Project, a joint initiative by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the State government, with the objective of developing sustainable and profitable agro-forestry models and dissemination for the benefit of farmers and industry.

“Close to 20 years of rigorous work went into the project, which was inaugurated in 2010 by the then Chief Minister K. Rosaiah. I personally visited several projects, including the Aravalli Biodiversity Park and the Yamuna Biodiversity Park in Delhi, during this project. All the work seems to have been wasted now,” lamented V. Vasudeva Rao, a retired professor from the university.

The land parcel was full of Prosopis growth when the project was taken up. Persistent efforts by the teachers and students have ensured planting of nearly 1.5 lakh saplings of different flora. Divided into various blocks are species such as palm, teak, neem, mahua, ficus, amla, toddy, phoenix, mixed fruit trees and medicinal plants, besides a VIP plantation block.