At a time when politicians and celebrities are throwing green challenges at one another towards increasing green cover in the State, GHMC’s laxity and inaction has resulted in thousands of seedlings drying up even before plantation at the University of Hyderabad.
The Miyawaki forest patches proposed by GHMC in the university died a miserable death in the nursery bags, and all one can see there now are dried saplings, and empty pits.
Miywaki is the latest trend catching up in urban greenery, towards developing thick forests within shorter span of time.
The technique was developed and perfected by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, and it is said to help the plant growth 10 times faster and 30 times denser than the usual. GHMC has proposed to deploy the technique in its West Zone, to grow forests at various locations of Patancheru and Gachibowli. It was planned to initially plant 13 acres at BHEL, two acres in Gachibowli stadium and three acres in University of Hyderabad.
Launch couldn’t happen
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) K.T.Rama Rao was initially scheduled to launch the project at University of Hyderabad, and plant material in thousands of nursery bags was kept ready at the site, along with pits to accommodate them.
Bore-well was dug and a pump-set too was fixed at the location, for regular water supply to the plants.
The launch, however, could not happen as the Minister was held up elsewhere, and the plantation did not take place either on the scheduled day or later on.
As per the eyewitness accounts and available photo and video evidence, at least 10,000 seedlings proposed to be planted in 20 beds, dried up in the nursery bags, for want of water, even while the pits dug for the same are intact.
Official reaction
When approached for her version, Zonal Commissioner D. Hari Chandana said the saplings could not be provided water as power connection was yet to be obtained to the pump set.
The arrangement for water to be brought from the stadium too has failed. She claimed that the desiccated seedlings were only the remainder, after major part of the plantation was done.
