Telangana chief minister kicks off programme to increase green cover in the state from his constituency

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched the fourth phase of tree plantation programme ‘Haritha Haram’ from his home constituency, Gajwel, on Wednesday.

State ministers and elected representatives also participated in similar programmes all over the state.

On his way from Hyderabad to Gajwel, the chief minister stopped at Pragnapur, Mulugu and Turkapally and planted saplings. The main event was in Gajwel town where he kicked off the programme amid the sounding of sirens from all the mosques in the town.

One interesting highlight was planting of 3,000 saplings at the town’s main Madinah mosque by 3,000 police personnel. Siddipet Police Commissioner Joel Davis said the department had adopted the mosque premises to increase the greenery in the area.

With overwhelming response from all sections of society, the planting of saplings in the town overshot the target. Against the target of 100,116 plants, the people planted 136,588 saplings on saturation basis to cover all the areas of the municipal limits. The programme covered all the 12,000 households with a population OF 45,000. Students, women, employees and all other sections of people enthusiastically took part in the event.

Officials said the trees planted include tamarind, mango, jamun (Java plum), curryleaf and drumsticks (moringa) in addition to flowering plants and forest species. During his travel by road, the chief minister also stopped at the Mulugu Forest Research Station and lauded the officials for conserving Singarayapally forest. He announced a collective reward of Rs500,000 (Dh26,860) for the staff. He also asked the officials to organise a get-together for him and all legislators in the forest.