Dry spell puts brakes on green drive

HARITHA HARAM

• Only one-tenth of the target attained so far
• Authorities to continue the first phase drive till Sept 30
• Khammam, Warangal and Adilabad districts doing better than the rest

Hyderabad: The deficit rainfall this year has upset the applecart of Telangana State as regards the Haritha Haram programme aimed at increasing green cover in the State. Although the government aimed to plant 40 crore saplings across the State in the first year, excluding GHMC limits, only one-tenth (nearly four crore) of the said target was achieved till date.

It looks like the TRS administration should wait till 2016 to ensure the mass plantation drive to gain momentum. Much depends on the revival of monsoon in the coming weeks. The Forest Department has not given up hopes yet. According to the Principal Secretary (Environment and Forest) Rajeshwar Tiwari, Haritha Haram will be continued until September 30. The plantation will be carried out in places where there are rains over the next four weeks, he said.

District Collectors were given specific orders to undertake tree plantation depending upon revival of monsoon. The drive is going at snail’s pace in view of the dry spell across the State, the senior IAS officer added. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao kick-started the green drive on July 3 and Forest Department had targeted to complete the drive before the rainy season ended.

Rajeshwar Tiwari pointed out that they had been focusing on institutional planting during the last two months. The trees were planted on premises of educational institutions, government buildings etc. ‘After Care’ process was not a problem in such place since Principals and Heads were tasked with responsibility of ensuring continuous water to plants in the following days.

The Hans India spoke to nodal officers of different districts to get a district-wise break-up of tree plantations completed thus far. Khammam topped the list with 1.3 crore saplings planted out of the targeted 3.81 crore in the first year. Next comes Warangal where the plantation figure was 1.09 crore; the target was 4.13 crore.

In Adilabad, where the green cover is one of the highest in the state, 96 lakh saplings were planted in the last few weeks. The district that was most affected due to scanty rainfall was Mahbubnagar. Here only 15 lakh saplings were planted while the target was to plant 5.6 crore saplings.

Plantation programme

S. No. District Target Achieved

1 Khammam 3.81 crore 1.30 crore

2 Warangal 4.13 crore 1.09 crore

3 Adilabad 1.6 crore 96 lakh

4 Nizamabad 3.35 crore 50 lakh

5 Karimnagar 3 crore 45 lakh

6 Ranga Reddy 2.34 crore 45 lakh

7 Medak 3.5 crore 39 lakh

8 Mahbubnagar 5.6 crore 15 lakh

9 Nalgonda 4.8 crore 50 lakh

By Mahesh Avadhutha