New Delhi, April 16 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped the Telangana government over its rushed action to fell trees on a land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad and directed it to submit a specific plan to restore the 100 acres of deforested land if it wanted its chief secretary "to be saved from any severe action."

Questioning the Congress government over its "tearing urgency" to cut the trees, the top court also said it would go "out of the way" for the protection of the environment.

Making it clear that the apex court's first concern was restoration of the environment, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said not a single tree more should be felled on this land in the Kancha Gachibowli forest area.

"If you want your chief secretary or the secretaries to be saved from any severe action, you have to come out with a plan as to how you are going to restore that 100 acres," Justice Gavai told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who was appearing for Telangana.

The bench said rather than justifying its action, the better course for the state would be to come up with a plan on restoring the tree cover.

"Otherwise, we don't know how many of your officers will have to go in a temporary jail to be constructed at the same spot."

The bench further said it was surprised to see videos in which herbivore animals were running for shelter. It said it was also told that some of these animals were bitten by stray dogs.

"We direct the wildlife warden of the state of Telangana to examine and put into effect immediate steps that are required to be undertaken for protecting the wildlife which has been affected on account of deforestation of 100 acres."

Justice Gavai said, "You can't have high rises in the company of the deer."

"What was the tearing urgency to do it in three days of holidays?" Justice Gavai asked.

The bench said it was only bothered about the environment and how the state would restore it. "For the protection of the environment and ecology, we will go out of the way," it said, adding that under Article 142 of the Constitution, the top court can "do anything".

Article 142 of the Constitution provides broad powers to the apex court to pass any order to ensure "complete justice" in any matter before it.

Early this month, students of the University of Hyderabad protested against the state government's plans to develop the 400-acre land parcel bordering the university.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.