Supreme Court Dismisses PIL Against Auction of Land Near Durgam Cheruvu

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the proposed auction of two land parcels measuring around 10 acres near Durgam Cheruvu in Raidurg, Hyderabad.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana dismissed the petition, which had been filed by Hyderabad-based environmentalist Juvvadi Pranay Simha Rao.

In his plea, Rao sought the immediate cancellation of the auction and urged the apex court to direct the Telangana government to permanently declare the identified land parcels as a dedicated rock preserved area. He also requested that the site be developed into a biodiversity park.

The petitioner contended that the state's proposed land auction violated earlier statutory orders that had classified the land surrounding Durgam Cheruvu as a heritage precinct intended to protect ancient geological formations.

Highlighting his background as a researcher engaged in raptor conservation in India since 1996, Rao noted that he has regularly conducted field surveys and habitat studies across rocky and forested landscapes to build long-term data on raptors and their ecosystems. Based on these assessments, he argued that the auction sites were previously designated as protected hillock and rock-preserved zones.

In addition to raising concerns over administrative inconsistencies, the petition stressed the ecological value of the terrain. Rao asserted that the 2.5 billion-year-old rock formations located at the site are irreplaceable natural assets critical to the region's overall ecology and the broader Durgam Cheruvu catchment area.