Telangana Decennial celebrations enter final phase

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s flagship programme, Telangana Ku Haritha Haaram, started in July 2015 to raise the tree cover in the State from 24 percent to 33 percent of the total geographical area is yielding dividends. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, Telangana has a forest cover of 21,214 square kilometres. There is an increase of 632 square kilometres between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021, which is the second highest increase in forest cover in the country. In this year, officials are formulating strategies to plant a minimum of 19.29 crore saplings. A significant portion, approximately six crore saplings, is anticipated to be planted in close proximity to irrigation projects and canal bunds.

This initiative was designed to enhance the green cover and promote environmental sustainability throughout the State. The thrust areas to achieve it were two-fold; one, initiatives in notified forest areas, and the other, initiatives in areas outside the notified forest areas. The programme is one of its kind in the world after China and Brazil and the pioneer effort in the country. Under the new Panchayat Raj Act-2018, it is mandated that each Gram Panchayat establishes and maintains a functional nursery.

Additionally, every Gram Panchayat is required to develop a Green Action Plan. The seedlings produced in these nurseries are then utilized for various plantation activities. As part of the initiative, 10 percent of the total budget allocated to each Gram Panchayat is allocated as a Green Budget. Notably, a total of 230.96 Crores were released as the Green Budget to Gram Panchayats between April 2020 and January 2021. These measures reflect the government’s commitment to promoting environmental conservation and sustainable development at the grassroots level.

The Telangana government has established the ‘Green Budget’ (Haritha Nidhi) in a unique and innovative manner, setting a precedent that is unparalleled globally. This initiative involves the active participation of all sections of society, making Telangana the first state in India to introduce it.