Haritha Haram to be pruned, to get new name

Meanwhile, deviating from the annual practice of planting 19 crore to 20 crore saplings under the programme, this year the State government will be planting only 13 crore saplings, citing different reasons, including availability of sites.

Hyderabad: Telangana ku Haritha Haram, one of the flagship programmes of the previous BRS government, which won plaudits nationally and internationally, is also set to undergo changes, including a slash in the number of saplings being planted and more importantly, a change in name as well.

According to official sources, the Congress government, which has been making design changes and effecting name changes apart from making cosmetic changes giving a Congress touch to multiple initiatives of the previous BRS government, is planning to change the name of the highly successful social afforestation programme.

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The rechristening and formal launch of the Congress tweaked version of Haritha Haram is likely to happen in a fortnight. Sources said the Forest department had already suggested a few names for the new avatar of Haritha Haram after they were asked to do so, with the State government expected to make a formal announcement shortly.

Meanwhile, deviating from the annual practice of planting 19 crore to 20 crore saplings under the programme, this year the State government will be planting only 13 crore saplings, citing different reasons, including availability of sites.

Last year, 30.29 crore saplings were raised to achieve the targeted planting of 19.29 crore saplings. Defending the decision to plant 13 crore saplings, a senior Forest official said availability of sites to plant new saplings was a challenge.

The district level committees gave their indent for this year’s edition and accordingly, it was planned to plant 13 crore saplings. Further, there was no restriction on the number of plantations. If there was scope for planting more saplings, it can be done, the official said.

Unlike previous editions, this time the department is focusing on plantation of large saplings rather than of homestead and ornamental saplings. Emphasis was being laid on fruit bearing saplings, peepal, neem and others and of the State tree “Jammi Chettu” (Prosopis cineraria Linn) extensively.The department has already identified forest blocks for taking up extensive block plantations.

In urban areas, HMDA, GHMC and respective urban local bodies will be taking up the plantations and in rural areas, the plantations have to be done within the gram panchayat limits.

To save the biodiversity and increase green cover in the State, the previous BRS government had launched the Haritha Haram programme on July 3, 2015. Apart from government departments, elected public representatives, people had actively participated in the programme all these years. With an expenditure of Rs.10,822 crore so far, over 273 crore saplings were planted across the State.

Globally, Haritha Haram has been recognized as the third-largest environmental conservation effort made by mankind to safeguard the environment. The initiative yielded good results and the Centre had said the green cover in the State had increased by 7.7 percent. To cater to regional and climatic diversities, as well as the demand for various types of saplings, a total of 14,864 nurseries were established across the State.