KCR seeks Centre’s green light for PRLIS

​Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday requested Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan to accord environment and forest clearance for stage-2 Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme and also sanction Rs 100 crore for developing 188 forest blocks in Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits. 

The Union Minister called on K Chandrashekar Rao at the latter’s official residence Pragati Bhavan. The two leaders discussed various issues ranging from the pending State projects before the Union Ministry and fresh political developments taking place in the country. 

The Chief Minister requested Harsh Vardhan to release Rs 100 crore from central share of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning (CAMPA) funds for supporting the State government’s initiative of developing 188 forest blocks in HMDA area. K Chandrashekar Rao asserted to restore the ratio of 70:30 per cent under adhoc CAMPA rules which was approved by the Supreme Court. 

Thanking the Union Minister for according environmental permissions to Kaleshwaram Project, the Chief Minister also requested Harsh Vardhan to visit the prestigious project which is under advanced construction. They also discussed the plantation programme, forest conservation, forest rejuvenation, protection of wild animals, environment protection etc. The Union Minister was briefed through a power point presentation on the implementation of ‘Telanganaku Haritha Haram’ programme in the State, action to protect the forest, efforts for forest rejuvenation, development of social forestry etc.

The Chief Minister explained that the primary objective of Haritha Haram is to increase the green cover from the existing 24 per cent  to 33 per cent. It is proposed to plant 230 crore seedlings out of which 130 crore will be planted outside reserve forests and 100 crore inside the forest. The Chief Minister said that at present every year 40 crore seedlings are planted and in future action plan is prepared to increase the number to 100 crore per year. 

Before the commencement of the meeting, the Chief Minister instructed the District Collectors to take responsibility of overseeing the protection of seedlings including watering, which have been planted on a large scale throughout the State as part of Haritha Haram. He told them to prepare an action plan and implement it for plantation of seedlings as well as their protection. The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary SK Joshi to issue orders immediately to this effect entrusting the responsibility to the Collectors for the protection of plants.