Telangana Government Notifies Kothapally Compensatory Afforestation Forest Block

The Government of Telangana issued a notification, GO.Ms.No. 64, on June 24, 2025, formally declaring the constitution of a new Reserve Forest in the Jayashankar Bhupalpally District. Titled "RESERVATION OF FOREST BLOCK - JAYASHANKAR BHUPALPALLY DISTRICT - RESERVATION OF KOTHAPALLY COMPENSATORY AFFORESTATION FOREST BLOCK TO AN EXTENT OF AC.26.18 GTS. (OR) 10.704 Ha. IN SY.NO.1196/1/2 OF KOTHAPALLY VILLAGE, BHUPALPALLY MANDAL DIVISION, JAYASHANKAR BHUPALPALLY DISTRICT, KALESHWARAM CIRCLE UNDER SECTION 4 OF THE TELANGANA FOREST ACT, 1967 (ACT NO.1 OF 1967) READ WITH SECTION 4 OF THE INDIAN FOREST ACT, 1927 (CENTRAL ACT NO.16 OF 1927)," this instrument of delegated legislation was published in The Telangana Gazette, Part-I Extraordinary, on July 2, 2025, the date on which it came into force. The notification was issued in exercise of powers conferred by Section 4 of the Telangana Forest Act, 1967, read with Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The primary reason for this declaration was to establish a compensatory afforestation area, specifically for land transferred to the Forest Department in lieu of 10.704 hectares of forest land diverted from Tadicherla Reserve Forest. This diversion was made in favour of TSGENCO for the construction of a belt conveyor corridor, facilitating coal transportation from the Project Tadicherla-1 Coal Block to the KTPP Project. The notification specifies the precise boundaries of the Kothapally Forest Block, covering an area of 26.18 Guntas (10.704 Hectares) in Survey No. 1196/1/2 of Kothapally Village, Bhupalpally Mandal. A key provision of the notification is the appointment of the Forest Settlement Officer, Bhupalpally, who is tasked with considering objections, inquiring into, and determining the existence, nature, and extent of any rights claimed by or alleged to exist in favour of any person in or over the land or to any forest produce within the newly constituted Reserve Forest limits. This process is to be conducted as provided in Chapter-II of the Telangana Forest Act, 1967. The notification also explicitly states that there are no enclosures or rights of way admitted within the newly reserved forest block.

The legislative intent behind this notification is to ensure the ecological balance and fulfill statutory obligations related to forest conservation. The policy rationale underscores the principle of compensatory afforestation, where forest land diverted for developmental projects must be offset by creating new forest areas or enhancing existing ones. The earlier legal position, as enshrined in the Telangana Forest Act, 1967, and the Indian Forest Act, 1927, provides the framework for the declaration and management of Reserve Forests. This notification addresses the statutory requirement to compensate for forest land loss, thereby mitigating the environmental impact of infrastructure development. The legislation provided: “the Government of Telangana hereby declared to constitute the land (transferred to Forest Department in lieu of Diversion of Forest land of 10.704 ha. in Tadicherla Reserve Forest of Bhupalpally Division in favour of TSGENCO for constructions of belt conveyor corridor for transportation of coal from Project Tadicherla-1 Coal Block to KTPP Project) within the boundaries specified in the schedule below as a Reserve Forest under the said Act, and appoints the Forest Settlement Officer, Bhupalpally in this regard to said land to consider objections, if any, and to enquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of any rights claimed by or alleged to exist in favour of any person in or over any land comprised within such limits, or to any forest produce of such land and to deal with the same as provided in Chapter-II of the said Act held by the said Forest Settlement Officer”. This action introduces new obligations for the Forest Department to manage and protect this newly designated forest area and for the Forest Settlement Officer to meticulously adjudicate any rights. The detailed geographical coordinates and boundary descriptions included in the notification serve as enforcement mechanisms, providing precise demarcation for the new Reserve Forest.

Keywords: Telangana, Forest Block, Compensatory Afforestation, Reserve Forest, Kothapally, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Forest Act, Notification, Environment, TSGENCO

Geo Tags: India, Telangana District: Jayashankar Bhupalpally