Global leader joins ‘Green India Challenge’

On the occasion, Santosh Kumar also gifted the noted green activist from Norway with two of his coffee table books invluding Vruksha Vedam and Wings of Passion.

Hyderabad: Noted environmentalist and founder president of Green and Belt and Road Institute, Erik Solheim participated in the Green India Challenge (GIC) initiative by planting a sapling at Begumpet along with BRS Rajya Sabha MP, J Santosh Kumar on Friday.

The noted environmentalist praised the Haritha Haram initiative of Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao and the Green India Challenge (GIC), which is being promoted by Santosh Kumar for the past few years.

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“Man-made pollution, carbon emissions, deforestation are wreaking havoc in this planet. The increase of 7 percent of forest cover in Telangana state through Haritha Haram programme within a decade is commendable . This is proof of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s visionary leadership. Every state in the country should take up plantation programme in the same spirit of Telangana,” Solheim said.

The former Executive Director of United Nations Environmental Programme said that he wants to contribute to make GIC initiative worldwide. “I am nominating the GIC initiative to three environmentalists from around the world. Santosh Kumar will plant the saplings with them and extend my support to expand the initiative worldwide,” he said.

Solheim acknowledged the role of Santosh Kumar in promoting GIC. “Environmental friends have told me that Santosh is constantly planting trees somewhere in the world every day and playing an important role in the growth of greenery,” he said.

On the occasion, Santosh Kumar presented ‘Vrikshavedam’, ‘Haritahasam’ and ‘Wings of Fashion’ table books to Solheim. “It is a great pleasure to work with Solheim, who is well-known worldwide as an environmentalist,” he said.

ProClaim CEO Kevin Kandaswamy, COO Shasidhar along with GIC founder members Raghava, Karnakar Reddy and others were present.