"Operation Green Grab" — 2,900 Acres of Forest Gone, and Nobody Even Blinked

 


“While you looked at Hyderabad’s HCU protests, the real heist happened in silence. Forests don’t shout. But they bleed.”

🏞️ The Silent Loss of Vikarabad's Green Heart

While people protested the loss of land near Hyderabad Central University (HCU), another, much larger ecological handover passed quietly — the Congress-led Telangana government transferred nearly 2,900 acres of protected forest near Vikarabad to the Indian Navy for a Very Low Frequency (VLF) communication station.

This isn’t barren land. It’s part of the Damagundam Reserve Forest, rich with wildlife, sacred temples, and deep ecological value. And now, it’s gone.

🌲 What Was Handed Over?

  • Location: Damagundam Reserve Forest, near Vikarabad (~70km from Hyderabad)

  • Area: ~1,174 hectares (~2,900 acres)

  • Purpose: VLF communication station for Indian Navy

  • Status: Officially transferred by the Congress government in early 2024

This area is more than land — it's an ecosystem and a cultural heritage zone.

⚖️ TRS vs. Congress: What Changed?

This transfer was not initiated by the Congress government. Back in 2017, the then TRS (now BRS) government explored this handover. But for six years, the land was never formally transferred. It remained tied up in:

  • Environmental concerns

  • Tribal objections

  • Forest department hesitations

When the Congress came to power in 2023, the file moved fast. The Revanth Reddy-led government finalized and transferred the land within months.

The previous government stalled it. The new government gave it away.

🛡️ “National Security” vs. Environmental Ethics

The Navy’s need for a VLF base is real. It supports deep-sea submarine communications and requires isolated, radio-quiet zones — something cities can’t offer.

But several important questions arise:

  • Why choose dense forest instead of barren land?

  • Was a transparent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted?

  • Were locals and forest-dependent communities ever truly consulted?

This transfer could lead to:

  • Loss of habitat for deer, peacocks, wild boars, and more

  • Disruption of sacred temples and shrines in the forest

  • Felling or transplanting of thousands of trees, which rarely survive post-transplant

🆚 The HCU Contrast: Why One Protest, But Not the Other?

When the Telangana government tried auctioning 400 acres near Hyderabad Central University for commercial use, public backlash was intense. Students protested, environmentalists raised alarms, and media covered it extensively.

Yet the Vikarabad forest handover — 7 times larger, more ecologically sensitive — barely made headlines.

Why the silence?

  • Is it because it’s labelled “defence”?

  • Because it’s not in urban Hyderabad?

  • Or because forest lands don't trigger the same public emotion as urban green spaces?

🗓️ Timeline: From TRS to Congress

Year/DateEvent
2017                 TRS government explores land transfer via GO
2018–2022                 Project remains stalled due to objections
Dec 2023                 Congress wins Telangana elections
Early 2024                 Congress finalizes and transfers land to the Centre


📢 The Deadpool's Final Word: Forests Can’t Vote, But We Can Speak

This is not about politics. It’s about priorities.

Whether it’s TRS delaying or Congress pushing the deal forward — the fact is: we’re losing forests faster than we realize. Once concrete replaces sacred soil, there's no going back.

Ask yourself:

  • Who gains when forests are lost?

  • Who speaks for the trees?

  • Who decides which land is "sacrifice-worthy"?

If a forest falls and no one protests, was it ever valued at all?

🧭 Sources / References

 

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