No progress in watch and ward activities of afforestation in Telangana state

Hyderabad: As the 'watch and ward' activities have seen no progress under afforestation programme through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREG), the survival of plants that are being planted is under threat.

Though the survival rate is quite low, the officials of the NREG have not taken steps to implement watch and ward so that the plants could survive.

According to the reports of the NREG, so far, the personnel for watch and ward activity have not been appointed and the material component for this was also not used. With this, the funds being spent on the plantation drive is going waste.

Afforestation programme has been taken up under the NREG to improve the green cover in the State. This helps in providing work to the wage seekers, in improving green cover, and in making some money from the forest wealth.

The labor budget component of the scheme could be utilised to appoint men for the work and the material component to procure the required material.

As per the reports, afforestation is being taken up in 8,900 acres and about 11 lakh saplings have been planted so far. In all the rural districts, men for the watch and ward activities have not been appointed.

In order to protect the plants, they must be fenced. Workers must be appointed to arrange fence around the plants to protect them from cattle and other animals. Also, these plants should be watered till they grow to a certain level.

As the watch and ward staff has not been appointed, the survival chances of the plants is quite low. Under the scheme, about Rs 13 crores have been sanctioned for the watch and ward activity and it has gone waste.

The staff and officials of the scheme have to choose the NREG wage seekers and should hand over the protection of the plants to them. With the absence of ward and watch workrs, the survival of the plants is as low as 6 per cent.

According to sources of the NREG scheme, plants are dying due to no water. Even if they survive, cattle is eating them as there is no fence to protect them. Despite afforestation activities are going on, the greenery has not improved.