Telangana govt seeks Rs 100 cr fund from Center to develop forest blocks

Telangana has sought the sanction of Rs 100 crore from the central share of CAMPA funds for developing 188 forests blocks within the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday made the request to facilitate financial aid from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) when Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan called on him here. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also requested him to accord environmental permission for Stage-II Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project.

The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to visit the Kaleshwaram project which is under advanced construction as well as some places in the state to personally see the programmes undertaken for developing greenery.

Harsh Vardhan met KCR to congratulate on his electoral victory. On this occasion, the CM, along with officials, had a meeting with him on the plantation programme, forest conservation, forest rejuvenation, protection of wild animals and environmental protection.

Harsh Vardhan was briefed through a PowerPoint presentation on the implementation of "Telangana ku Harithaharam", a massive plantation programme in the state, action to protect the forest, efforts for forest rejuvenation and development of social forestry.

KCR said that the primary objective of Telangana Ku Harithaharam is to increase the green cover from the existing 24 per cent to 33 per cent. Under this programme, it is proposed to plant 230 crores of seedlings, out of which 130 crores will be planted outside reserve forests and 100 crores inside the forest.

At present, every year 40 crore seedlings are planted and in the future action plan is prepared to increase the number to 100 crores per year.