'Telangana ku Haritha Haram' gets big fund push
Telangana ku Haritha Haram
Hyderabad: The State Budget for 2023-24 is increased by Rs 600 crore more than the last year's to the flagship programme of Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (THH).
During the current FY, Finance Minister T Harish Rao proposed Rs 1,471 crore for years 2023-24, as against Rs 932 crore allocated during the previous FY.
He said the programme like THH has not been taken up in any other State. The government has ensured that the new Municipal and Panchayat Acts, mandated the local bodies to earmark 10 per cent of their annual Budget to Green Budget and develop greenery. With the involvement of local bodies, there is abundant greenery in every village in the State.
Giving results of the programme, Rao said in the India Forest Report- 2021 prepared by the Forest Survey of India, green cover in Telangana increased by 7.70 per cent. This is equivalent to 5.13 lakh acres.
Similarly, the THH has received recognition at the international level. The Food and Agriculture Organisation, a constituent of United Nations, has described Hyderabad as 'Tree city of the World' twice. Hyderabad is the only city in the country to receive this recognition. Besides, the Sustainable Development Report brought out by NITI Aayog has placed Telangana in the first place, based on improvement of greenery. Also, the International Association of Horticultural Producers in South Korea has conferred the 'World Green City Award-2022' to Hyderabad.
For making THH a people's movement, he said, the Chief Minister has introduced 'Haritha Nidhi' in a novel manner. Donations are received from public representatives, government employees, departments, students and others for Haritha Nidhi.
The afforestation efforts have rejuvenated 13 lakh acres of forest land by incurring an expenditure of Rs.1,500 crore. Fences have been erected with a length of 11,000 km for protecting forests.
The forest protection efforts have led to a significant increase in the number of wild animals. While tigers increased to 26, leopards touched 341. Many species of birds on the verge of extinction have regained their habitat.