Shadow over KTR’s mega plantation drive

​Hyderabad: Poor co-ordination between GHMC and other departments of the government has cast a shadow on the proposed mega plantation drive (planting 25 lakh saplings) on July 11.

Corporation officials are worried that the Information Technology department’s apathy could prove to be a major hurdle in realising Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K Taraka Rama Rao’s dream to create a world record as part of the prestigious ‘Haritha Haram’ program.

According to GHMC officials, even though the civic body has made several attempts to contact IT department officials to learn about the status of the latter’s participation in the mega plantation programme; they were not only reluctant but also careless in their response to GHMC.

Adding to the woes of GHMC is the fact that there are not enough saplings to make the mega plantation programme successful. A senior GHMC official told The Hans India that to realise the dream of MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao and eclipse the previous world record created by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the corporation had taken up the responsibility for the mega plantation drive.

Ironically, the IT department, which had proposed the mega plantation drive, was reluctant to take up the programme, he said. As a result, GHMC has been falling short by as many as 5 lakh saplings for the mega event on July 11, he said.

A GHMC urban bio-diversity official further said that out of the total 25 lakh saplings, various State government departments would plant 13,31,997 saplings (1.7 lakh saplings by GHMC, 2 lakh by HMDA and 1.7 lakh by the urban forestry wing) central government departments 5,96,995 and the private sector 4,49,550.

He said if the IT department agrees to plant at least 2 lakh saplings out of the total 5 lakh saplings, the GHMC would complete the mega plantation drive by roping in NGOs, volunteers, residential welfare associations and others.

By: Maddy Deekshith