The Forest Development Corporation has come up with a unique proposal for contributing its share in providing relief to the families of victims of COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid reports on the overcrowding of cremation grounds and shortage of wood required for performing the last rites, the corporation has announced that it will donate 1,000 tonne wood available in its possession for those in need. The announcement made on humanitarian grounds provides relief to families of victims who are finding it hard to perform the last rites of the deceased in a traditional manner. The corporation had in its possession 1,000 tonne wood that was left over with it after catering to the requirements of paper mills and other industries. Forest Development Corporation chairman V. Pratap Reddy said the decision has been taken in the light of reports over shortage of wood faced by the people as well as incidents of exorbitant charges levied by the dealers who were trying to cash in on the situation.
The quantum of wood pledged by the corporation would cost more than ₹ 20 lakh and steps would be taken to provide the required quantity to the cremation grounds in and around the Greater Hyderabad limits in coordination with the Municipal Administration authorities. According to the officials, the department had in its possession 350 tonne wood in Rangareddy division, Khammam-Sattupalli-Aswaraopet-Bhadrachalam division (400 tonne), Mancherial-Kagaznagar (860 tonne) and Warangal division (200 tonne).
The department would start moving the required quantity to the cremation grounds in GHMC limits initially and this would be followed by the dispatches to other areas. Local lorry owners associations had also come forward to help the department in shifting the commodity, he said adding people could contact the concerned Municipal authorities to secure the timber required by them.
