Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023

Avenue plantation picks pace in Telangana

MA&UD dept completes Multi-Layer Avenue Plantation covering 446 kms on 325 road stretches

By S. Sandeep Kumar

Published Date - 11:48 PM, Sun - 22 August 21

Avenue plantation picks pace in Telangana — Depending on the space and feasibility, single, double or even more rows of flowering plants and shrubs are being taken up.

Hyderabad: Driving through major thoroughfares in various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the State, generally dreaded, is now a pleasant affair, thanks to the greenery developed along the roads. Apart from extensive roadside greenery, focus is now on Multi-Layer Avenue Plantation (MLAP) by different departments to develop colourful ambience.

This initiative helps in planting more saplings in limited space. Planting of flowering plants and shrubs on medians and roads follow a pattern under different categories as part of the MLAP initiative.

Depending on the location, space and feasibility, single, double or even more rows of flowering plants and shrubs plantations are being taken up at several road stretches, especially those leading to district headquarters and State Highways.

To this effect, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department is taking up extensive MLAP drive across the State. As many as 521 road stretches have been identified covering 818 kms across the State as part of this initiative. So far, the department has completed MLAP covering 446 kms on 325 road stretches across the State.

Under Haritha Haram programme, till August second week, over 10.28 lakh saplings have been planted under MLAP programme. Among all the districts, Medchal – Malkajgiri tops the chart with 1.89 lakh MLAP plantations, followed by Peddapalli (1.10 lakh plantations) and Siddipet (97,000 plantations). The saplings for MLAP are being sourced from nurseries developed in the ULBs, said a senior official from MAUD department.

All this is being done in addition to the conventional avenue plantation at different places. The idea is to develop aesthetic and colourful ambience on the roadsides. The MLAP initiative is being taken up extensively by all ULBs in different districts, the official said.

Instructions have been issued to the ULBs to seek the assistance of horticulture and forest in MLAP and focus is being laid on using local saplings species to ensure better growth and easy maintenance, the official informed.

Forest dept focusing on avenue plantation

After covering over 7,500 kms under avenue plantation across the State, this year, the Forest department is taking up avenue plantation on the Hyderabad-Nagpur National Highway covering 258 kms.

Under this exercise, nearly 1.71 lakh saplings are to be planted and till August second week, over 1.39 lakh pits have been dug up and about 99,000 saplings have been planted, said a senior official from the department.

While, different saplings are planted in rows under MLAP, in the conventional avenue plantations, single row saplings plantation is taken up.

Though, in the past, the department had taken up MLAP on few stretches, focus is now being laid on conventional avenue plantations, considering different factors, including limited staff in the department.

GHMC takes up drive on Aramghar–Shamshabad route

After executing a pilot project of MLAP on a short stretch from Aramgarh towards Shamshabad airport covering about 400 metres, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is now executing similar projects on different stretches.

A project is under progress from Aramgarh to Shamshabad Airport covering about four kms by planting about seven to eight rows of saplings. It will be completed in a fortnight. Similarly, another project is executed on Neknampur road from Tippu Khan Bridge towards Narsingi, covering about five kms, said a senior official from GHMC.

Plans are being made to execute similar projects in short lengths in different zones in the GHMC limits. Instructions have been issued to officials to take up such projects covering about 60 to 70 kms in each zone, the official added.

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