‘Harita Haaram’ to be launched to plant 210 crore seedlings and saplings over the next three years across Telangana
In a massive programme to bring one-third of land mass of Telangana under green cover, the State government is launching an ambitious ‘Harita Haaram’ to plant 210 crore seedlings/saplings over the next three years.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials on Friday to observe green week every month to take up plantation on a large scale by involving people, officials and elected representatives.
‘Rejuvenate forest’
Reviewing the initiatives planned under ‘Harita Haaram’, he directed HMDA and GHMC officials to plant 10 lakh saplings in three years at 3.33 lakh saplings every year.
About 40 lakh saplings would be planted in every Assembly segment and 33,000 in every village in a year. The requirement of 210 crore saplings was estimated on the basis of survival rate and existing green cover.
The Chief Minister told the officials to evolve new strategies to rejuvenate the existing forest cover under joint forest management.
Suggesting schematic plantation on the lines of the practice in Singapore, the Chief Minister said people should feel as if they were walking through a forest, while passing through avenue plantation. All river banks, in and around tank bunds and shore areas of tanks, compounds of all institutions should be brought under the plantation programme.
Required funds could be drawn from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), the Chief Minister said, adding that nurseries should be set up for every four-five villages along with the borewell facility.
Courtesy: The Hindu