Students exhorted to plant saplings: Minister M Sankaranarayana

Anantapur: BC Welfare Minister M Sankaranarayana has called upon the people to engage in social forestry promotion in the interest of the survival of mankind. Addressing the 70th Vana Mahotsavam at KSN Government College campus here on Saturday, the Minister said that the district is geographically is large but continuous tree felling has reduced the district into a barren one.

He called upon students to inculcate the idea of tree plantation and spread greenery all over the district. Sankaranarayana mentioned trees should not be felled to meet human needs. Tree plantation should be his primary responsibility for boosting green cover.

Anantapur MP Talari Rangaiah said that future of mankind is in jeopardy as trees are being felled indiscriminately for selfish gains. He said that Karnataka State should be emulated as they realised the importance of greenery and tree plantation. The MP stated that citizens should make tree plantation as their primary responsibility.

District Collector S Sathyanarayana said that every district should have 30 per cent forest cover. The present green status of the district is just 10 per cent only. He called for 2 per cent increase in forest cover every year to realise the green mission of 30 per cent forest cover.

While land status remains the same, it is the green cover that should increase, he explained. The Collector blamed indiscriminate tree felling and industrialisation for the depletion of Ozone layer.

Conservator of Forests Bharath Kumar said that the concept of 'Vana Mahotsavam' was launched in 1950 by the then Union Agriculture Minister K S Das. He recalled that he never carried water when he was a student to school but now everyone is carrying water bottles to schools, colleges and workplaces. DFO Chandrasekhar said that 4 Nagara Vanams have been established for boosting green cover. DFO Venkata Ramana also spoke.