The State Forest Department has planted 20.25 crore saplings under the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram this year, surpassing its target of 19.54 crore.
After exceeding the target this year, the department now intends to plant 20.02 crore saplings the following year. To that end, district-level targets have already been shared with district administrations in order to facilitate advanced planning and effective plantation drives.
The plantation drives were generally planned to be completed by November-December. This year, as with last, the department successfully planted more saplings than the target number, according to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RM Dobriyal.
If necessary, officials begin avenue plantations in February at designated locations along major roads and medians. However, he emphasizes the importance of regular watering during this time.
The availability and sourcing of high-quality seedlings are critical to the success of plantation campaigns. Apart from 500 nurseries maintained by the Forest Department, there are 15,000 throughout the state, with at least one in each gram panchayat. The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Departments are in charge of these.
All of the saplings are planted and distributed two months in advance. In addition to the plantation drive, the survival of the saplings is being prioritized.
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Officials of the Forest, Panchayat Raj, and Rural Development departments inspect and geo-tag saplings planted within their respective limits. Apart from ensuring data authenticity in terms of plantations, the exercise also helps to reduce unauthorized tree felling.
Dobriyal explained that after the physical inspection, department personnel uploads the data online. He stated that the goal for sapling survival was to ensure that 85 percent of them survived. “We have been achieving the survival targets religiously,” he said.
While Telangana is leading the way in terms of increasing forest cover, several other states are trailing behind. In fact, some states are reducing their existing green cover without attempting to bridge the gap.
In Maharashtra, for example, over 22,000 mangrove trees are likely to be felled in Mumbai and surrounding districts for the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, Telangana’s forest cover increased by 632 sqkm between ISFR 2019 and 2021, the second-highest increase in the country. Surprisingly, the increase in Maharashtra is only 20 sqkm.
According to reports, the Bombay High Court has approved the cutting of approximately 22,000 mangrove trees in Mumbai and the neighboring Palghar and Thane districts by the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL).
However, the NHSRCL has been directed to follow the guidelines established by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority while carrying out the works.
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