With an aim to achieve the target again under Haritha Haram this year, the Jalpally municipality on the city outskirts embarked on plantation drive even before the program set into motion.
With a target of 83,000 saplings this year the municipality officials and staff of Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (TKHH) Wing, under the supervision of Forest Range Officer (FRO) M.Venkata Sudheer, has drawn the lines in several areas and begun planting the saplings of different species.
The officials are quite confident of repeating last year’s performance this time too wherein they achieved the target of over 89,000 saplings even before the deadline.
“Unlike last year where the target of 89,000 saplings was fixed and was achieved before the deadline, this year we have a task of only 83,000 seedlings and are hopeful that the mark will also be achieved with a same spirit just like previous year,” Asserted G.P.Kumar, Commissioner Jalpally municipality.
With over one lakh saplings in their hands, the team of officials and staff from Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (TKHH) Wing jumps into action and are seen busy in planting the seedlings at different places of Jalpally Municipality under Maheshwaram constituency represented by Minister of Education P.Sabita Indira Reddy.
“We have a total number of 1,11,198 saplings of 10 different species propagated in all the five nurseries developed in the municipality to carry out plantation drive. Apart from avenue plantation, we also took up drives like door-to-door distribution of homestead species and planted seedlings at open spaces at several schools and government run offices,” informed Retired Forest Range Officer (FRO) M.Venkata Sudheer, supervising the plantation drive in Jalpally.
Explaining about the preparations being put into play even before the monsoon sets into motion, the Forest Range Officer (FRO) M.Venkata Sudheer – who is supervising the plantation drive in Jalpally, said, “A total number of five nurseries have been raised within the radios of the municipality that help us prepared for the upcoming Haritha Haram program with a support of 1,11,198 saplings of fruit, floral and shade bearing species.”
“Apart from fruit bearing species like Sithaphal, Jamun, Guava, Ramphal and Date Palm, shade bearers species such as Gulmohar, China Badam, peltophorum, Neem, Gangaravi, Karanja, Sissoo and cassia siamea has been raised in the nurseries while Bougainvillea is the only variety from flowering species to include,” elaborated the official.
What is more welcoming is an emerging trend wherein the residents of some colonies are coming forward to look after the saplings being distributed to them by the municipality.
Dr.Mohammed Abdul Rasheed, a medical practitioner and a community activist, said, “Around 250 saplings of Cryptococcus, Gulmohar, Jamun, Guava, Date Palm, Neem and Kaner were supplied to us by the municipality are were planted in colonies like Green city, Mini City, and Bin-Tirif Colony under Jalpally municipality. This time we too got the tree guards to ensure the safety of the seedlings until they turned up to a fully grown up tree. We are having scores of plant enthusiasts here in these colonies who are even trying to encourage other people about the importance of safeguarding and nurturing the saplings.”
