KARIMNAGAR: Will the second phase of Haritha Haram, an ambitious programme of the state government to increase forest cover, meet the same fate of other government schemes? It might, going by the negligence of the authorities, who are making efforts to meet the targets rather than getting results.
Civic body officials planted saplings on the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation (KMC) premises as part of the plantation drive, but made no effort to protect them.
According to KMC reports, they have planted about 2 lakh saplings in the town by July 8. However, on the very next day after plantation no one bothered to protect these saplings by installing tree guards.
The KMC authorities invited civil supplies minister Eatela Rajender on July 8 for a massive plantation drive, organised at Sri Giddeperumandla Swamy temple ground. However, private tractors ruined the saplings, damaging many of them on the very next day.
The civic body hurried through the plantation work in the divisions without providing measures to protect the saplings.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Social Forest K Mahender Raju told Express: “We are encouraging protection of trees. Since the organisation is coming forward to take up plantation, it should protect saplings until they grow into trees.”
With watering being a major concern from October, the organisation should plan well in advance,he suggested.
KMC commissioner Krishna Bhasker said that they didn’t have budgetary allocation for tree guards.
Around `7 crore budget is required for tree guards,he added.
He requested people in the town to protect saplings in their respective areas.
He said that forest authorities would have supplied bigger saplings instead of smaller ones.
A special meeting would be conducted with civic staff and others on how to protect saplings, the KMC commissioner said.