OPERATION GREEN MISSION : Study reveals rise in green cover

• Green cover increased from 10.37% to 12.4%, according to Survey of India
• Digging of 20 lakh cubic metres of trenches in the district helped in boosting the green cover

Anantapur: 'Operation Greening Mission' unveiled by the district administration a couple of years ago saw a green cover increase of 3.1 square kilometres, according to a study made by the Survey of India. 

The study suggests that green cover had increased from 10.37 to 12.4 per cent, thanks to the initiative of the district administration and the DFO Chandrasekhar Reddy, who are pulling all strings to boost green cover from its precarious low of 10 per cent of the total land cover. 

The last two years saw the Forest department and related agencies including DWMA, Horticulture and Agriculture departments undertake a massive exercise of tree plantation involving local industries to boost the forest cover as well as green cover in non-forest areas.

Elaborating on the measures taken to achieve what has been achieved so far, Chandrasekhar told ‘The Hans India’ that heavy protection measures including root stock treatment of existing plantation, afforestation measures, seed development and minimising of forest fires. 

Besides, the district stood first by digging 20 lakh cubic metres of trenches which resulted in recharging of groundwater of forest lands and conserving of 2.75 tmcft of water, which in turn is helping in the boosting of green cover. 

Besides, agro-forestry and implementation of waste land development schemes have further boosted green cover in forest and non-forest areas. 

The district administration had given a call to the farmers to plant trees on farm pond bunds and also on field bunds. 

The grandiose plan is for planting 6 crore trees in the district if every farmer did it with conviction it would certainly have a great bearing on the climate of the district. Besides, more than 600 hills had been identified for increasing forest cover by DWMA. 

If the 27 lakh acres of farm land bunds and farm pond bunds are given a green cover, nearly 3 crore plants in the crop lands will cover the district like a canopy. Observers in the district are of the view that mere call will not help but plantation should be made mandatory by linking the receipt of government benefits to tree plantation. 

Bank loans, crop loans, pensions and all government benefits should be linked to each farmer planting 10 trees in his field. It is a common knowledge that forest cover generates a cooling effect in the atmosphere which induces clouds and cool breeze. 

The moisture on the trees triggers in a transpiration and right atmosphere for ushering in rains. The district requires creation of natural conditions which is a massive green cover which induces cool climate, a prelude to experiencing a rainfall.