GHMC gears up to turn urban spaces as lush green vegetations

Hyderabad: With a view to turn the leftover urban space into lush green vegetation, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has planned to plant over 30 lakh saplings in different colonies under the Haritha Haram programme during monsoon.

The officials of Urban Biodiversity Wing were seen on their toes for appropriate arrangements at designated nurseries before the Haritha Haram programme kick-starts from July 11 in their operational areas.

Unlike the earlier drives, this time the GHMC gave a slogan of "Inch-by-Inch Campaign" to cover whatever open space is available in the urban area.

Out of a total 32.55 lakh saplings propagated under the programme in 90 nurseries spread under Charminar Zone, only Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University Nursery, Rajendranagar alone carries 55,000 seedlings of different varieties to support the programme.

To ensure full participation of the public in the plantation campaign this time, the GHMC roped the NGOs, Colony Welfare Associations and Self Help Groups (SHGs) into service and are accordingly making arrangements to warrant cent percent coverage of the planned space that is divided into clusters.

"Nearly 3,000 colonies have been identified in the city and divided into clusters of 10 enclaves each. We also roped NGOs, Colony Welfare Associations and Self Help Groups (SHGs) into service to see that the target is being achieved without leaving a skeleton in the closet. Only in the wake of absence of Colony Welfare Associations, NGO and SHGs, we will employ contractors to carry out the task," informed Ramraj, Deputy Director, Urban Biodiversity Wing, GHMC, Charminar Zone.

The plantation drive will begin from July 11 for which we have made nearly 32.55 lakh saplings of different varieties ready in all the 90 nurseries under Charminar Zone.

However, when asked about the varieties of sapling being readied for distribution, the official said, "Only two varieties Kanuga (Pongamia) and Tecoma Gaudichaudi are being offered this time for plantation drive in urban areas.

The most encouraging part for achieving the target is that this time enthusiastic volunteers are coming forward to support the GHMC in its environment friendly campaign.

Overwhelmed by the GHMC's move to carpet the urban area with lush green vegetation, Rehan Khan, a plant lover from the South zone said, "Planting a tree is like performing a sacred duty for the welfare of all human beings on the planet.

People must realise the importance of protecting nature from all sorts of pollution and plants. It is important because to plant trees as carbon sequesters protect us from harmful carbon particles causing injury to the environment thereby posing a threat to human survival on the globe," explained Rehan, who often buy the saplings by his own and plant them at several places.