HYDERABAD: A drive along the National Highway-65 that passes through Telangana, connecting Hyderabad and Vijayawada, is no longer dull, tiresome or an eyesore. Unlike previously, long rows of lush green trees now dot the entire stretch. This was not the case until a few years back, when most part of the stretch used to provide a dry and barren view. The landscape on both sides of the highway has changed now, thanks to the efforts of the Telangana government that took up a massive plantat ion drive a long the stretch, as part of its Statewide af forestation programme ‘ Hari tha Haram’.
The State government took up a multiple- row avenue plantation drive along this highway during the launch of the second phase of Haritha Haram in 2016, which was attended by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. About 163 km of the highway passes through the State. Of the total 163 km, the Forest Department took up plantation drive along a stretch of 132 km, between Panthangi toll plaza and Nallabandagudem of Suryapet district located near the AP-TS border. Along the remaining 31 km stretch, between Ramoji Film City and Panthangi toll plaza, the plantation drive was taken up by the HMDA. Close to one lakh saplings, belonging to around 30 different species of trees, were planted along the stretch.
However, the role of Forest Department and HMDA did not end there, as planting the saplings was just the first step. According to the Forest Depart - ment, close to 95 percent of the planted sapl ings have survived. PCCF (Social Forestry) RM Dobriyal said: “The saplings would not have survived without proper protection and maintenance over the last five years. The survival of saplings was threatened by various factors, including cattle and people crossing the roads.
The respective District Forest Officers deployed officials to take up daily inspection of saplings, apart from ensuring regular watering.” After the successful implementation of this initiative, the Forest Department is now looking to replicate similar results along the Hyderabad- Adilabad and Hyderabad- Bengaluru highways. RM Dobriyal also said that they have set a target of planting 1.5 lakh saplings along the Hyderabad-Adilabad stretch, on the NH-44 measuring around 263 km. Already around 79,000 pits have been dug for this. He said that they have managed to plant 24,000 saplings so far.