Rama Krishna Sangem
Greenery is a top priority of K Chandrasekhar Rao, even before he became the Chief Minister of Telangana in 2014. He has done a lot for the cause of afforestation and tree plantation right from his days as a legislator. After taking over CM, KCR has designed “Telangana ku Haritha Haram” program. Environmental sustainable development is the only way to protect the planet for future generations.
June 19, Monday is being celebrated as Harita Haram Day as part of Telangana Dashabdii Utsavalu (Decennial of Telangana formation).
As much as 33 per cent green cover is mandatory for climate balance. With the growing population, the needs are increasing and the forest cover is decreasing. Due to which climate change and rise in temperature has become inevitable. Rainfall also decreased. Ozone layer is depleting gradually.
In 2015, Telangana State Government launched the prestigious Telangana ku Haritha Haram program with a plan to increase afforestation. The Government of Telangana initiated the Haritha Haram program in 2015-16 with an aim to increase the forest cover in Telangana from 24 to 33 per cent.
Not only the government but also people and farmers are being involved and are marching ahead. Aiming to plant 230 crore plants as part of Haritha haram program. After China and Brazil, Telangana ku Haritha Haram is the third largest human effort to develop greenery.
With implementation of this program, ecological balance is enhancing, generating livelihood and good rainfall is recorded. The Telangana government made a law making it mandatory to plant trees in every village. The law states that a nursery should be set up in every village, the plants should be protected and the village should be kept green and clean.
At the village level, Green Protection Committees were formed to oversee the program under the chairmanship of the village sarpanch. Monitoring of plant survival is done through geo-tagging. The government has undertaken the program to plant a large number of trees in the name of Avenue Plantation, Block Plantation, Institutional Plantation, Homestead Plantation, Agro Forestry Plantation to increase greenery.
In the recently amended Panchayati Raj Act 2018 and Municipal Act 2019, the government allocates 10% of the budget as green budget to protect the environmental balance and takes special care to increase greenery.
Record 273 crore saplings planted in 9 years.
A record of 273 crore saplings have been planted in the last nine years as part of environmental protection. In 2015-16, the forest area in Telangana was 19,854 square kilometers, but by 2023 it has increased to 26,969 square kilo meters.
As per the report of Forest Survey of India, as a result of Harita Haram program in Telangana state, the greenery has increased by 7.70%.
In the past, there was a shortage of parks (greenery) in towns and cities, and people used to suffer without parks. But now the Telangana government has established 19,472 Palle prakruthi Vanams and 2,275 Bruhat Palle prakruthi vanams along with a nursery in every village. A large number of plants are grown on both sides of the roads.
The government has developed urban forests at 179 places at a cost of 700 crore rupees. The Telangana government has innovatively set up Haritha nidhi with the participation of people from different fields. Public representatives, employees and students are participants in this Haritha nidhi.
The contributions (amount ) collected from all of them has been set up as Haritha nidhi. The Forest Department acts as the nodal agency for Haritha nidhi. Plantations on both sides of the road (Avenue Plantation) have been established across the state for about one lakh kilo meters. 13.44 lakh acres of degraded forests are restored.
The state government has planned to conduct Telangana Harithotsavam on June 19 as part of Telangana state formation day deccenial celebrations. A large-scale plantation program is planned in all the villages and towns across the state as part of the ninth phase Haritha Haram.As part of the ninth phase, a target of planting 19.29 crore saplings has been set.
This year, a decision has been taken to increase greenery along the canals and sites of all the irrigation projects. according to a media release from Information & Public Relations Department Special Commissioner
