TS surpasses Haritha Haram target, plants 235.59 crore seedlings till January 2022

Hyderabad: Telangana government planted 235.59 crore seedlings till January 2022 against the target of planting 230 crore seedlings under Haritha Haram programme, which was launched in 2015-16, achieving 102.6 per cent plantations. Haritha Haram was launched with an aim to increase green cover in the State by planting 230 crore seedlings by 2021-22. Relentless efforts […]

Hyderabad: Telangana government planted 235.59 crore seedlings till January 2022 against the target of planting 230 crore seedlings under Haritha Haram programme, which was launched in 2015-16, achieving 102.6 per cent plantations.

Haritha Haram was launched with an aim to increase green cover in the State by planting 230 crore seedlings by 2021-22. Relentless efforts put in by the State government have aided in surpassing the target convincingly by January 2022, as per the Socio Economic Outlook 2022.

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And, all these efforts yielded good results as the forest cover increased by 632 square kms in the State. It is now ranked second in the country in terms of increase in forest cover as per the India State of Forest Report 2021 (IFSI) released by the Central government early this year.

The State government achieved 102.6 per cent plantations by taking up extensive plantations on the roadsides, barren hills, institutional premises, housing colonies and community lands.

In addition to these activities, large-scale plantations were taken up inside the notified forests to increase density and assist natural regeneration through intensive water harvesting structures in forests.

This apart, ‘Urban Forest Blocks’ are being set up to provide green lung space in Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits.

The government has decided to establish 188 forest blocks spread over 1.60 lakh acres at 129 locations across the State. Among these, 59 locations would be developed as urban forest parks owing to their proximity to residential areas and the balance 70 are conservation blocks.

Already, 19 blocks have been developed in seven different districts under HMDA limits.

Green Fund

Not confining to plantations, the government is now focusing on survival and maintenance of the saplings planted under Haritha Haram. Towards this, the government has established Telangana Haritha Nidhi or Telangana Green Fund to receive contributions from public representatives, government employees and others in the society.

Implementation of FRA 2006

The Central government enacted the ‘Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act’ in 2006, also known as FRA, 2006. Subsequently in 2008, the ‘Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules’ were introduced.

As per FRA, 2006 Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers are granted the right to hold and live in the forest land and the rights to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource that they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use”.

Till January 2022, the government has issued title certificates to 96,676 individuals covering 3.08 lakh acres and 721 community titles were issued covering 4.54 lakh acres.

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