Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be launching Haritha Haram programme on Thursday at the eco park at Narsapur. Finance Minister T Harish Rao and Forest Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy supervised the arrangements along with Forest Department Principal Secretary Shobha and others.
Rejuvenation of Narsapur forest area is being taken up as part of the programme. Medak district administration is planning to plant 50 lakh saplings during the present phase of the programme.
Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy said that about 30 crore saplings would be planted across the State during the sixth phase of the Haritha Haram and all arrangements are in place.
“The Chief Minister has decided to increase the forest cover to 33 per cent in the State and as part of that it has been decided to plant 230 crore saplings across the State. So far 182 crore saplings were planted and the programme will continue with the same pace,” said Mr. Indrakaran Reddy.
Avenue plantation will be taken up in about 1,046 kilometres by planting 3.91 lakh saplings, 74,867 saplings will be planted in 653 institutions, 21.4 lakh saplings in 2,858 acres of Haritha Vanalu, and about two lakh plants in 1,000 plus acres of farmers and their farm bunds, 3.29 lakh saplings in 638 acres as community plantation, 1.56 lakh saplings on canal bunds and 6.39 lakh saplings in homestead plantation.
As many as 13 varieties of saplings were identified for homestead plantation by the authorities.
“We have geared up for Haritha Haram programme and all arrangements are in place. We have made ready as many as 77 varieties of saplings to plant in the district. Pits were already dug under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) programme and planting will commence from Thursday,” said an official involved in the programme.
