The state government is planning to set up a forest college in Medak district on the lines of one in Coimbatore.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a review of forest department here on Monday, said the forest college would come up in a 500-acre land in Mulugu mandal of Gajwel constituency.
Rao said there is 34,000 acres of forest land in Gajwel constituency and asked officials to erect a fencing along with a trench around the forest land.
Rao asked officials to plant fruit and flower-bearing and also medicinal plants in a big way. ‘’Planting of medicinal plants in villages will even ensure that mosquitoes do not breed,’’ Rao said.
Stating that there are forest blocks at Gurramguda, Dulapally, SR Nayak Nagar, Kandlakoya, Nagaram and Harina Vanasthali on the outskirts of the city, Rao stressed the need to protect them. ‘’Construct walking tracks along these forest blocks on the lines of KBR Park,’’ he told the officials.
Rao felt that though there are lakhs of acres of forest land, there is no greenery in those lands. ‘’Trees have to be planted in a massive scale in reserve forest areas. Prepare action plan and estimates to take up the plantation drive,’’ the chief minister said and added that the funds would be released through the Harita Haram project.
Source: The New Indian Express