Telangana High Court seeks additional affidavit in Damagundam radar PIL

Hyderabad: A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Special Government Pleader to file an additional affidavit in a Public Interest Litigation challenging the proposed establishment of an Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radar project in the ecologically sensitive Damagundam Reserve Forest.

The Court passed the direction in the PIL filed by Damagundam Forest Protection JAC (Save Damagundam), questioning the allotment of forest land for the proposed project and seeking its cancellation on environmental grounds. The petitioners have sought a direction to the authorities to withdraw the decision allotting the land to the project proponent and cancel G.O. Ms No. 21 dated September 3, 2014.

They contend that the establishment of the ELF radar project in the fragile forest ecosystem would cause irreparable environmental damage. The petitioners have also sought a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment through an expert agency or committee, along with an assessment of the traditional knowledge, socio-economic and cultural aspects of the local communities dependent on the forest.

Other reliefs sought include conducting a public hearing with local residents, preparing a People’s Biodiversity Register under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and protecting the rights of local communities and their access to the temple situated in the forest area.

When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the Bench directed that it be listed on November 17, 2026, under the same caption, enabling the Special Government Pleader to file an additional affidavit, as directed by the Court on April 2, 2026.