Telangana Ku Haritha Hāram

Haritha Haram was formally launched by Telengana Chief Minister Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao. It is a flagship programme of the Telangana Government envisages to increase the present 24% tree cover in the State to 33% of the total geographical area of the State.^[1] The thrust areas to achieve the above are two-fold; one, initiatives in notified forest areas, and the other, initiatives in areas outside the notified forest areas. The first objective is sought to be achieved by a multi-pronged approach of rejuvenating degraded forests, ensuring more effective protection of forests against smuggling, encroachment, fire, grazing and intensive soil and moisture conservation measures following the watershed approach. Major fillip is sought to be given to Social Forestry for achieving the second objective. In the areas outside the notified forest, massive planting activities will be taken up in areas such as; road-side avenues, river and canal bank, barren hill, tank bunds and foreshore areas, institutional premises, religious places, housing colonies, community lands, municipalities, industrial parks, etc. National Forest Policy of India envisages a minimum of 33% of the total geographical area under forest / tree cover to maintain environmental stability and ecological balance; that are vital for sustenance of all life-forms, human, animal and plants.

The main agenda of Haritha Haram is to plant 230 crores of plants in Telangana. ^[2]

Objectives

The main objective of Haritha Haram scheme is to build the Telangana into a Green state by planting trees , which may cover to at least one-third of the state's geographical areas.

The first objective is sought to be achieved by a multi-pronged approach of rejuvenating degraded forests, ensuring more effective protection of forests against smuggling, encroachment, fire, grazing and intensive soil and moisture conservation measures following the watershed approach.

In Telangana State, forest area is 25.16% of the total geographical area. The State Government has initiated a flagship programme, "Telangana Ku Haritha Haram" for taking massive afforestation activities to increase the green cover of the state to the desired level of 33% of the total geographical area.

References