The ambitious programme of the Telangana government to plant 230 crore saplings in the State in the next three years as part of efforts to improve the green cover from 24 to 33 per cent will be launched by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao from the Chilkur Balaji temple at Moinabad here on Friday.
Mr. Rao will offer prayers at the temple and plant saplings inside the premises as also at the social welfare residential school in the same village. He will visit Narapally near Ghatkesar later to take up plantation and interaction with public. The government has drawn up a week-long schedule of VIP visits to mark the occasion, but it will be a continuous event till September-end. Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna told a press conference on Thursday that the government aimed at bringing in a green revolution by the programme.
About 100 crore saplings will be planted where deforestation has taken place, 120 crore saplings elsewhere in the State and 10 crore saplings in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits. In this year alone, about 40 crore saplings will be planted. They were kept ready in 4,213 nurseries. Mr. Ramanna said every gram panchayat was given a target to plant 40,000 saplings while 40 lakh trees were aimed in every Assembly constituency. The Chief Minister will tour the entire State by bus to motivate people to participate in the programme. The government was prepared to spend up to Rs 1,000 crore on the programme, he added.
Source: The Hindu