Haritha Nidhi will ensure more greenery

Hyderabad: The Haritha Nidhi scheme, which was announced recently by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, will go a long way in sustaining the success of the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram initiative, the massive afforestation drive in Telangana, senior environmentalists and noted personalities from all walks of life on Tuesday said. The concept of Haritha Nidhi, […]

Hyderabad: The Haritha Nidhi scheme, which was announced recently by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, will go a long way in sustaining the success of the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram initiative, the massive afforestation drive in Telangana, senior environmentalists and noted personalities from all walks of life on Tuesday said.

The concept of Haritha Nidhi, which ensures there is a sense of participation among the general public, is also winning many hearts.

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“I am a huge fan of Haritha Haram,” says Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Coach for the India national badminton team. “In the last few years, we have seen the city transform. Several places which were otherwise barren are now lush green. Also, so many parks were built for the people, giving them a chance to step outside. In fact, the area surrounding Hyderabad too has been attracting many people due to the greenery.”

He further adds, “Greener environment is always better for sports, exercise or any other physical activities. With Haritha Nidhi, I hope the government will look into protecting these green lands, and further expand them.”

Several environmentalists, who have been raising their voices to increase afforestation efforts, are happy with the progress Telangana has made. Manikonda Veda Kumar, president of Forum for a Better Hyderabad, says, “When Telangana was formed we all thought that we will face severe drought due to our geographical situation. When Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had initially announced the Haritha Haram programme, many people were of the opinion that this is just another initiative that won’t be followed upon. However, the efforts that the government made were excellent. As a result, about 85 per cent of the saplings survived after the plantation drives. I feel, now with Haritha Nidhi, those 15 per cent that couldn’t grow during the afforestation programme will also get the required nurture and that would mean more green space for the State.”

As the plantation drives continue to take place across the State, many nature-lovers opine that these efforts will have a long term effect on the State’s ecological condition.
Dr Deepesh Mathur, who has attended several plantation drives says, “Destroying a forest is easy, however planting one is a tough job, and the Telangana State government has achieved that in years. We have seen that several governments announce afforestation programmes and then keep them on hold due to a lack of funds. However, with Haritha Nidhi, the State government has ensured that officials in Telangana are never out of funds to plant more trees and protect them. This initiative will be beneficial not only for us but for the coming generations, who will be able to enjoy a much greener environment and pollution-free air.”

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