New Delhi, April 14 -- The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on April 16 a matter in which it had asked the Telangana government to explain the "compelling urgency" for clearing a large tree cover on a land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad.

While taking suo motu cognisance of the deforestation activities in the Kancha Gachibowli forest, the apex court on April 3 directed that until further orders, no activity of any sort, except the protection of the trees already existing there, shall be undertaken by the state or any authority.

According to the top court's cause list of April 16, the matter is slated to come up for hearing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih.

The apex court took cognisance of th...