KCR turns philosophical over green cover

​Hyderabad: “The world is in existence in tune with the laws of nature. Mankind is one of the billions of crores of life species that exist on this planet.

Despite rapid strides made by human beings in science and technology, it is impossible to live beyond the laws of nature. Forgetting this truth, man is destroying the nature,” said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Making a statement in the State Assembly on Haritha Haram, Rao said human beings had indiscriminately destroyed the environment.

This had resulted in several natural calamities like earthquakes, typhoons and a steep increase in the global warming. In the process, rivers and other water bodies were fast disappearing and human settlements had become victims of pollution, the Chief Minister said.

Rao said environmental balance was possible only if there was 33 per cent green cover on our planet. According to a survey conducted by Climate Realty Project Worldwide, in Canada, India is at the threshold of danger.

Telangana State, he said, had abundant forest cover. “The erstwhile Adilabad, Khammam, Medak, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Rangareddy districts have thick and deep forests.

Forestland is spread over 26,903 square kilometers in the State. At one point of time, there was 25 per cent of thick forests and 50 per cent of moderate forest cover in the State.

But now, only 1.06 percent of thick forest cover and about 28.95 percent of moderate forest cover are available,” he said. Earlier governments had totally neglected forests and allowed deforestation in a big way. They never had the vision to restore the forest cover, he said.

Official statistics reveal that in the United AP, a meager Rs 14 crore per year was spent on an average for plantation. During 2004-2014, only Rs 130.16 crore was spent by the Forest department under the State plan expenditure.

But the Telangana government had allocated Rs 1,243 crore for Haritha Haram programme . This means, on an average, the Telangana government was spending Rs 400 crore for extending the green cover and it was 30 times more when compared to the allocations made by the previous governments in the United AP, the Chief Minister added.

He said, “Telangana Ku Haritha Haram is the third largest afforestation programme attempted by any governments. The objective of Haritha Haram is to improve green cover to 33 percent in the State.

The goal is to plant about 230 crore seedlings. About 120 crore seedlings are being planted in villages, along roads in towns, open areas, along banks of lakes, canals and fields, on the premises of government and private organisations, colonies, and in every house,” he said.