The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) for the second consecutive year has offered to take up plantations and distribute a variety of plants free of cost to voluntary organisations, residential welfare associations and even individuals under the ‘Vana Deeksha’ and ‘Vana Prasadam’ programmes.
On popular demand especially from women and senior citizens, fruit bearing varieties like Amla, Guava, Chickoo, Jackfruit, Lime, Mango and flowering plants like ‘Ganneru’ (Nerium), ‘Mandara’ (hibiscus), ‘Nandivardhanam’ (Moonbeam), ‘Patcha Ganneru’ (Tecoma) etc., are also being distributed, said HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy. He claimed that about 60,000 saplings were planted last year in different parts of the city mainly on the campuses of educational institutions, research institutes, along the roads and in residential colonies with 98 per cent survival rate. Also, about 700 trees were translocated with a 100 per cent survival rate.
A dozen government and private organisations with campuses in the city and over 30 colony welfare associations have tied up with HMR for planting another 60,000 saplings this year. A new feature will be to plant tall trees of about 15 feet along the service roads and in colonies.
Plants of religious significance like Ravi (Peepal), Medi (Cluster Fig), Marri (Banyan), Jammi (Bulrush), Christmas tree, Thuja , Sarvi (Casurina), Pogada (Mimusops), Kanuga (Pongamia) etc., are also being planted especially in places of worship having vacant spaces.
Contact details
Interested individuals and organisations wanting to associate with HMR’s plantation programme can contact OSD (Urban Forestry) Swami Das - 8374356780 or General Manager (Admn) T.D.Mohan Rao – 9849905734, a press release stated.
