‘Haritha Haram’ week celebrations will be organised in July next year as part of a massive afforestation programme featuring planting of crores of saplings to increase the green cover of Telangana State, said Minister for BC Welfare, Forests and Environment, Jogu Ramanna.
Saplings will be planted on a massive scale in open spaces at the government offices and educational institutions by involving all sections of society during the week-long celebrations next year, he said.
Mr. Ramanna visited the Forest Department nursery at Tekulapalli near Khammam and reviewed the social forestry activities in Kothagudem division on Tuesday.
Talking to media persons here en route to Karepalli, Mr. Ramanna said the Haritha Haram programme will be implemented with a missionary zeal by making all sections of society active partners in the tree plantation drive.
Khammam district is the most forested district followed by Adilabad district in the Telangana State, he said, deploring that the forest cover has drastically dwindled due to large-scale felling of trees by smugglers during the previous regimes prior to the formation of the Telangana State.
The TRS government conceived the comprehensive Haritha Haram programme to take up afforestation, he said.
The Minister said the BC study circles in the State will be strengthened to provide coaching by subject experts for the benefit of BC students aspiring to appear for competitive examinations.
Permanent buildings will be constructed for around 120 BC welfare hostels, he said.
Collector K Ilambarithi and the senior officials of the Forest, BC Welfare Departments besides a host of elected representatives called on the Minister on his arrival here on a two-day district tour.
