Hyderabad, June 18 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Thursday that his government is engaged in a mission to transform Hyderabad into an eco-friendly city.

Ahead of “Vanamahotsavam” (tree plantation festival) to be launched at Gurramguda Eco Park near Hyderabad, the Chief Minister stated that his government is engaged in a mission to restore stormwater drains, secure legal victories to reclaim forest lands, and transform Hyderabad into an eco-friendly city.

He posted on ‘X’ that the event scheduled to be held on Thursday evening holds special significance. “It is not merely a token gesture; it is the outcome of a resolve born from the memories of past destruction -a resolve pursued with unwavering determination,” he said.

“Encroachment of lakes and the usurpation of forest lands – consequences that left Hyderabad in chaos at the slightest rainfall – characterized the past. In contrast, the current administration is engaged in a mission to restore storm-water drains, secure legal victories to reclaim forest lands, and transform Hyderabad into an eco-friendly city.”

Revanth Reddy said that Vanamahotsavam taking place on the forest land at Gurramguda is the practical realisation of an idea born from the anguish he felt while visiting this very area as the Malkajgiri MP during the floods of 2021.

The Chief Minister posted pictures of his visit to the area as an MP.

“This event stands as a testament to our efforts – undertaken since the people’s government assumed office – to wage legal battles against encroachers, protect forest lands, and transform the city into a place where people live amidst nature,” he said.

In December 2025, the Supreme Court declared 102 acres of land at Gurramguda as forest land.

The apex court allowed a civil appeal filed by Telangana in the long-pending Sahebnagar Kalan (Gurramguda Reserve Forest) case, settling a decades-old dispute over the land by setting aside the orders of the forest settlement officer, the Rangareddy district court and the Telangana High Court.

In March 2026, the state government issued orders through the Environment, Forests, Science and Technology Department, notifying 424 acres and 31 guntas of forest land in Gurramguda as Reserve Forest under Section 15 of the Telangana Forest Act, 1967.

The state government also decided to develop the area into a large Urban Forest Park.

The Chief Minister will be launching Vanamahotsavam by planting a sapling at the Park on Thursday evening. He will inaugurate development works undertaken at the Gurranguda Reserve Forest for Rs 17.84 crore.

The CM will virtually inaugurate development works worth Rs 17.66 crore across the state — covering urban parks, eco-parks, wildlife conservation, zoo modernisation, residential buildings, and environmental infrastructure — in districts including Nizamabad, Kothagudem, Hanumakonda, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Mulugu, Narayanpet, Bhupalpally, Sangareddy, Ranga Reddy, and Warangal.

–IANS

ms/dpb