Green legacy launched in Warangal

Warangal: The Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) has plans to take up a massive plantation drive in the city, Mayor Gunda Prakash Rao said. He along with Government Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar and Urban District Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu planted saplings as part of inauguration of the 'Green Legacy' facility near Waddepally tank here on Wednesday.

It may be mentioned here that Green Legacy is an initiative that allows people to plant saplings in the name of their near and dear or an occasion to be remembered.

It's also seen as a mission to raise awareness regarding the environment by encouraging people to plant saplings which ultimately lead to urban forestry in the corporation.

Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor said that since the formation of Telangana, the government is hellbent on improving the green cover and has been implementing Haritha Haram programme. "The GWMC administration will identify its open plots and raise saplings on them. This would also help protecting the open plots belonging to the GWMC from encroachments," Prakash Rao said. The newly enacted Panchayat Raj law also makes it mandatory for the civic bodies to spend at least 10 per cent of its funds for the Haritha Haram, he added. The Mayor said the government has already started to sensitise people about the importance of improving green cover, besides taking up plantation at all State-run educational institutions and offices.

Vinay Bhaskar hailed the government's efforts for the conservation of environment. Referring to the three acres land allotted for the Green Legacy programme, he said that both the Mayor and Municipal Commissioner Pamela Satpathy have thrown green challenge to the denizens in the Greater Warangal.

"The Green Legacy initiative is a huge opportunity for those people, who want to do something special to remember an important occasion in their life," Vinay Bhaskar said. He urged the people to make use of the opportunity and plant saplings in the name of their near and dear or occasion they wanted to remember. All that the people have to do is to pay Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 to the GWMC, he said, stating that the civic body would take care of those saplings.

Corporators M Swapna, D Vijay Bhaskar, Vemula Srinivas and Chief Horticulture Officer Sunitha were among others present.