‘Must protect Devunoor forest, the lone forest block in Hanamkonda’

Hanamkonda: Environmental activists, nature and wildlife lovers have stressed the need for immediate measures to protect the Devunoor forest area which include Inuparathi gattu (gutta) hillocks near Devanur, Mupparam and other villages in the district. Several people including forest officials have visited the forest area as a part of the forest bathing programme conducted by […]

Hanamkonda: Environmental activists, nature and wildlife lovers have stressed the need for immediate measures to protect the Devunoor forest area which include Inuparathi gattu (gutta) hillocks near Devanur, Mupparam and other villages in the district. Several people including forest officials have visited the forest area as a part of the forest bathing programme conducted by the Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV) in association with the District Forest Department on the occasion of the International day for Biological Diversity on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, former District Forest Officer (DFO) Kazipet Purushotham, DFO Nagabhushanam, Prof Ravi Kumar from NIT, Warangal, and others said that the Devunoor forest area was the only forest area in Hanamkonda district which has just one percent forest cover, and underscored the need for the protection of this forest as it could be best urban lung space. The participants have urged the government to declare the Devunoor forest area as the Reserve Forest (RF) as the conversion of the forest block into RF, the rights to all activities like mining, hunting, grazing, etc., would be banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise. JVV, Orgullu WildLife Society (OWLS) and Vana Seva Society have been striving a lot for the protection of the Devunoor from land grabbers and mining.

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Forest Range Officer Bikshapathi, JVV, Hanamkoda, district secretary Parikipandla Venu, members Kanakchary, and others stressed the need for conducting the forest bathing and trekking programmes for the health benefits of the people, mainly living in the urban pockets. On the occasion, the participants have taken a pledge to protect the environment. The numbers on nature and wildlife rendered by Koona Mogili of JVV cultural wing has enthralled the participants.