TKHH credits Telangana for fastest-growing green cover

Hyderabad: The “Telangana Ku Haritha Haram” (TKHH) programme promoted the youngest State as the fast developing forest cover area in the country. Under the TKHH, it set an ambitious target of planting 230 crore seedlings across multiple phases. By January 2023, the State had surpassed this goal, planting approximately 270.65 crore saplings, achieving 117.68 per cent of the target, with an expenditure of Rs 10,417 crore. This monumental plantation drive has been pivotal in enhancing Telangana’s forest cover.

Between 2015 and 2021, the State’s forest cover expanded by 6.85 per cent, with Hyderabad registering a remarkable 146.8 per cent growth during the same period, Green India Challenge founder and former MP J Santosh Kumar said that the then Telangana government had invested Rs 8,511 crore in the project.

According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, India’s total forest and tree cover stands at 8,09,537 square kilometers, accounting for 24.62 per cent of the country’s geographical area. Telangana, encompassing a geographical area of 1,12,077 square kilometres, has a forest cover of 21,214 square kilometres, constituting 18.93 per cent of its area.

“The relationship between augmented forest cover and enhanced rainfall patterns is well-established. Forests play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle, influencing precipitation and groundwater recharge,” he said, adding that “Green India Challenge” initiative launched in 2018, encouraged individuals to plant saplings and challenge others to do the same, creating a cascading effect of environmental awareness.