Telangana defends Future City before NGT, denies clearance violations | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Telangana has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that allegations of the proposed Future City project being taken up without mandatory environmental clearances are unfounded, asserting that no such development activity has been approved or commenced in the notified area.In a counter-affidavit filed before the Chennai bench of the NGT, the Future City Development Authority (FCDA) sought dismissal of a petition filed by environmentalist Donthi Narasimha Reddy, contending that the claims were “baseless, misconceived, unsupported by facts and wholly untrue”.FCDA commissioner K Shashanka stated that the authority had neither approved nor undertaken any township, infrastructure or development project of the nature alleged in the petition. He said FCDA was established as a special area development authority under the Telangana Urban Areas (Development) Act through GO No. 69 issued in March 2025, with jurisdiction over 56 revenue villages spread across 765.28 sq km.According to the affidavit, FCDA functions as a planning and development authority and not as a real estate project proponent. It has not granted any layout, township, building or development approvals within the notified area, nor has it received or considered any proposal requiring prior environmental clearance, it claimed.The authority also disputed information cited by the petitioner from a website purportedly linked to FCDA. “The website cited by the applicant is neither owned nor maintained by the authority, and FCDA has initiated action to file a criminal complaint against those responsible for creating or operating the unauthorised website,” the affidavit said.Addressing concerns over a tender cited in the petition, FCDA clarified that it was issued solely for appointing a consultant to prepare a vision and comprehensive master plan for the Future City Area through the govt’s e-procurement platform. It said the tender had no connection with the execution of infrastructure works or the commencement of construction activity.The affidavit further stated that the FCDA office building at Meerkhanpet, sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹19 crore, is only an administrative facility and unrelated to any township project. References to Hyderabad Pharma City, land conversion, village resettlement, industrial activity and environmental clearances pertain to other agencies and projects, it added.