HYDERABAD: Aided by good rains, sapling plantation drive under Telangana ku Haritha Haaram programme is continuing in full swing in most parts of the state but the work is tardy in some places, including Hyderabad and its surroundings. Unrealistic targets are being blamed for this.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has a target of planting 1.7 crore saplings but has achieved just 12.6 per cent of the target till now by planting 21.48 lakh saplings, as per the dashboard of the principal chief conservator of forest.
An HMDA official pointed out that the urban authority did not have any particular jurisdiction as it covers gram panchayats of various districts surrounding Hyderabad, which are undertaking their own plantation drives under the district authorities, thus leaving the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority only a few green patches, roads like ORR and some open spaces to plant saplings.
Last year the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority was given target of around 1.1 crore, of which it 95 lakh were planted. This year the target has been increased to 1.7 crore, leaving doubts if this target can be achieved.
The scenario is not much different in Hyderabad where space is a constraint. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has a target of 40 lakh saplings and has planted 32 lakh till now.
However, most of it is through distribution as by itself it has planted only about 3 lakh saplings although the government claims to have demarcated more than 800 open spaces for plantations.
Eight districts have not even reached 30 per cent of their target yet. These are Bhupalpally and Gadwal which have achieved a meagre 8.27 and 7.94 per cent of their target of 1.13 crore and 84 lakh respectively, Karimnagar (14.1 per cent), Sircilla (24.7 per cent), Suryapet (29.1 per cent), Vikarabad (14.2 per cent), Warangal Urban (29.1 per cent) and Yadadri (26.4 per cent).
Vikarabad and Gadwal have received deficient rainfall this monsoon.
A district forest officer, who did not want to be named, said, “There was no rationale in fixing the targets for districts. Another DFO even protested over the target given to him and wrote about it to the government. There is no uniformity too on how to record the target achievement. In some districts more than hard work, smart work is being put to use to achieve the targets. Distribution of saplings and seed balls are also being calculated as part of reaching the target.”
In other districts 40 to 50 per cent of the task has been completed while the work is over 60 pc complete in Kothagudem, Jagtial and Khammam districts.
Target higher this year
HMDA has been given
a target higher than last year’s, unmindful of the fact that vacant spaces in the district are scarce