KCR launches second phase of Haritha Haram

Hyderabad, July 8 (INN): Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Rao on Friday launched the fortnight long second phase of Haritha Haram a flagship programme of the Telangana Government at Gundrampalli village in Nalgonda, a district left with five per cent green cover-the least in Telangana.

KCR joined one lakh green volunteers who planted over 1.25 lakh saplings all along the 165 km Telangana stretch of the Hyderabad ' Vijayawada National Highway No 65. People from all walks of life including students, NGOs, self help group members the general public took part in the green drive on a massive scale. The exercise was intended to develop a green corridor all along the high way.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister made a fervent appeal to the common public to take up the plantation drive as an initiative of their own instead of considering it as purely a government sponsored programme. Effective public participation would make the programme a complete success.

KCR said that Nalgonda district would now on be an area of special focus for the social forestry programme. The district should emerge on the top of the list in the state in promotion of social forestry.

The Chief Minister pointed out that anything can be bought with money but not rains. People of Nalgonda district should put in more efforts to revive the lost green cover for receiving bountiful rains every year.

KCR wanted the people to involve themselves in the programme with a resolve to demonstrate that a green Telangana was not impossible task. 'We achieved separate state of Telangana the hard way with a struggle that lasted over a decade. People who were often complaining about the monkey menace in the villages and towns should realize the fact that the habitat of the monkeys was destroyed by us and it is now our responsibility to revive it,' he said.

Stating that the persisting drought conditions are our own making, Chief Minister wanted the people to help address the main cause of such calamities by taking up plantation programme to arrest forest degradation. Just planting the saplings is not enough. It will be the responsibility of every citizen to ensure their 100 per cent survival.

The Chief Minister sanctioned Rs. 350 crores for the rehabilitation of three canal systems ' Pilaipalli canal, Punadigani canal, Dharma Reddy canal ' which had the potential to irrigate over 25000 acre of land besides feeding some 60 irrigation tanks . He appreciated the district administration of Nalgonda for the arrangement made facilitating the massive green drive.

KCR planted a sapling of Kadambam species in Choutuppal market yard and Neem in Gundrampalli village. People participated in the programme in a festive mood all along the highway. Chief Minister who reached Gundrampalli by road, flew by his official chopper to take an aerial view of the ongoing plantation drive.

The Chief Minister also stated that the Government is implementing programmes like Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhageeratha and Welfare initiatives for the development of poor people.

Energy Minister G. Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Legislative Council Deputy Chairman N. Vidya Sagar, MLCs and MLAs and other officials participated in the programme.