HYDERABAD: Two shop owners have been imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 each for destroying saplings planted as part of Haritha Haram in Siddipet.
Apart from paying the penalty, they also have to plant 20 saplings each in their respective farmlands. Municipal commissioner of Siddipet Ch Ravinder Reddy said destroying Haritha Haram plants would not be tolerated by the administration.
Ravinder while speaking to the two shop owners enquired from them if they had farmland. Both said they own a piece of land and gave details to the commissioner. He asked them to plant the saplings at their farmlands and take care of them. At the place where the plants were destroyed, new saplings were planted by the commissioner.
Haritha Haram incharge officer Samala Ilaiah urged all residents to cooperate with the authorities in maintaining the greenery. He said health and finance minister T Harish Rao was particular that if anyone violated the rules and destroyed plants, they will have to be penalised. Sometimes, authorities rely on CCTV cameras to detect who cut down the trees as there have been instances of them being destroyed in the night.
