Officials gearing up to paint Rangareddy district green

Rangareddy: The district machinery is gearing up for the state government’s prestigious ‘Haritha Haram’ programme to be taken up for the rainy season in 2019. The target of planting 2,04,00,000 plants in 560 panchayats in 18 mandals of the district. Preparations of arranging altogether 390 nurseries. 

An estimated amount of Rs 15 crore will be spent for the growth of saplings. Due to no rains, the Haritha Haram failed to achieve 100 percent target. To avoid this, the government brought new panchayatraj law that will make sarpanchs, panchayat secretary and mandal development officers responsible in developing greenery in villages. According to the law, panchayat secretary, sarpanch, mandal development officer should take responsibility in growing the saplings. 

Nursery in every village

The district machinery decided to arrange one nursery at every village. The officials are of in view that it will yield expected results if the saplings were locally available. To achieve this they are making arrangements to establish nurseries in 560 gram panchayats. Already the works were started at most of the places. The responsibility of growing saplings was entrusted to the respective panchayats. As the panchayats time period was over the responsibility will be given to new panchayats after elections. As of now arrangements were made under the supervision of special officers. 

Target 2.04 crore saplings

There are 560 gram panchayats in the district. Out which the plantation of saplings in 60 villages will be taken up by forest department officials and the same in remaining 500 panchayats will be held under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). According to the officials, plantation of 2.04 crore saplings at 399 nurseries will be taken up in the first phase. The target of 60 lakh saplings for forest department and 1.44 crore under MGNREGS was set. Already seeds with sand were kept in 18 lakh covers in various nurseries. 

District divided into two clusters

The officials divided the district with Chevella and Ibrahimpatnam as two clusters and arranging 390 nurseries in 18 mandals. They are going to spend to Rs 15 crore for plantation out of which Rs 12 crore will be spent on workers. Remaining Rs 3 crore will be spent on water tanks, sand and covers at the nurseries and transport, the MGNREGS officials said. They said that the height of the each plant should reach two feet at the time of launching ‘Haritha Haram’.
 
Flower and fruit plants

Officials are making arrangements for the plantation of flower and fruit saplings under MGNREGS. The plantation of varieties such as lemon, water apple, sapota, jackfruit, papaya, pomegranate, berry, custard apple, plum, almon, goose berry, drum sticks andhenna saplings. 

Last year statistics

The officials made a target of planting 86 lakh saplings during last year. According to official statistics, under MGNREGS it was decided to plant 25 saplings but it was recorded as 39 lakh. Forest officials planted five lakh out of the target of 12 lakh. Agricultural officials planted 9 lakh against 12 lakh target. Officials from education and excise departments planted 3 lakh saplings each.