Forest dept to emulate HMDA, develop green blocks

As many as 115 special officers of the Forest department will visit urban forest blocks on December 21 and 23 and study various models taken up by the HMDA towards greenery and tree plantation etc.

An urban forest block at Amberpet Kalan in Rangareddy district

HYDERABAD: Attracted by the development of urban reserve forest blocks on the city outskirts by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), the Telangana Forest department is contemplating ‘’Harithavanam” — developing similar such forest blocks in the different parts of the State under the Employment Guarantee Scheme.

In this connection, as many as 115 special officers of the Forest department will visit urban forest blocks on December 21 and 23 and study various models taken up by the HMDA towards greenery and tree plantation etc.

They will visit Jalalpur urban park in Yadadri developed in an extent of 742 acres with 1,13,400 tree plantations and Bibinagar urban park developed in 256 acres with 1,62,600 tree plantations.

HMDA has developed as many as 16 urban reserve forest blocks including eight in Rangareddy districts, three each in Yadadri and Medak, and one each in Medchal and Sangareddy. So far, 14,708 acres of land has been developed into forest blocks.