Several large trees have been chopped down by Power Department along the Marlapadu to Thiruvur road near Beerapally in Vemsuru mandal of Khammam district in Telangana.
This instance of tree felling occurs on one hand, while on the other, the significant afforestation program 'Vanamahotsavam' is being implemented, aiming to increase green cover through extensive tree planting.
According to the Forest Survey of India's biannual State of Forest Report 2023, forest cover in Telangana is approximately 24% of its geographical area.
The state's forest cover is slightly above India's overall forest cover, which is around 21.71% of its total land area.
However, the ISFR 2023 also reports a loss of 100 sq. km in Telangana's forest cover compared to the previous assessment, while there is an overall increase in forest cover nationally.