Peddapalli: With monsoon here, the State government is getting ready to undertake a large-scale plantation campaign with the aim of spreading greenery.

The government has started developing nurseries in towns and villages. In the villages, EGS field assistants and panchayat secretaries are managing them, while in the towns, the municipal commissioner and staff are supervising it.

There are nurseries in 266 gram panchayats in the district. There are nurseries in Peddapalli, Sultanabad and Manthani municipalities as well as in many parts of the corporation. The target is to plant 8 lakh saplings in a year across the district. 80 to 90 per cent of the saplings planted in the past have survived.

Guava, lemon, papaya, various types of fruit plants, as well as flower plants such as rose, hibiscus and grafted saplings have been grown and kept ready for distribution. In a recent meeting, officials advised the staff to monitor the nurseries. Gram panchayats are being looked after by special officers due to the non-conduct of local body elections. While they are struggling with the financial burden, the panchayats are facing an additional burden of setting up nurseries.

Officials say that the Central government has stopped the release of funds due to the lack of local public representatives. Government vacant lands, lands allotted to taddy tapper labour unions, as well as places for planting saplings in front of various caste communities, are being identified.

EGS officials said that the examination of places for planting saplings in nurseries, including SSRSP canals, has been completed.

Speaking to The Hans India, DRDO M Kalindini said that the target for planting saplings in the district was recently finalised. The target for planting saplings in villages along with some departments and mandals has been determined.

The mandals and their target is as follows Antargam 48,000; Dharmaram 87,000; Eligedu 36,000; Julapalli 39,000; Kamanpur 27,000; Manthani 1,02,000; Mutharam, 44,000; Odela 66,000; Palakurthi 57,000; Peddapalli 90,000; Ramagiri 51,000; Srirampur 72,000 and Sultanabad 81,000.