Harita haram falters in Palamuru

Mahabubnagar: The acclaimed Haritahaaram mass plantation programme, a crucial initiative for environmental protection, has stalled across the five districts of the Palamuru region. Despite the onset of the monsoon season, no district administration has conducted a review of the green plantation programme, raising concerns about the current government’s commitment to environmental conservation.

Initiated by the previous BRS government, Haritahaaram aimed to enhance green cover significantly. Under the earlier administration, the forest department, environment protection agencies, and allied departments collaborated to execute large-scale planting. Substantial funds were allocated to establish nurseries in every village, ensuring a robust supply of plants for mass plantation efforts. Historically, during the monsoons, Mahabubnagar’s district administration prioritised plantation programmes, ensuring nurseries were prepared to supply adequate plants. However, this year, not a single review has been conducted in Mahabubnagar, Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, or Nagarkurnool.

For the past nine years, the Palamuru region aimed to plant 2-3 crore plants annually, striving to transform the district into a green zone. The initiative aimed to cover at least 33% of available land with forest cover, aligning with the National Forest Policy of India’s ecological stability target. Under the Haritahaaram programme, the previous government successfully increased Telangana’s green cover from 18.93% to 24.06% by 2023.

Green plantation is vital for environmental protection, reduction of greenhouse gases, and improvement of rainfall. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, thus mitigating climate change. Increased green cover also enhances rainfall, crucial for agriculture and water resources in the region.

“Irrespective of governments and parties in power, a novel programme like planting trees, which is key to protecting the environment from pollution, improving rainfall, and benefiting agriculture, should be prioritized. This new government in Telangana seems to have no clear vision, and the administration is moving without direction,” alleged former Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy. He criticised the Congress government for its failure to uphold the Haritahaaram initiative in the Palamuru region.

The lack of action on the Haritahaaram programme threatens to undermine years of progress in improving the region’s green cover. Without coordinated efforts and a clear vision from the current administration, the environmental and agricultural benefits achieved in recent years could be at risk.