HYDERABAD: Telangana government will be embarking on an ambitious plan this year, of planting 100 crore saplings as part of its Haritha Haaram afforestation scheme, but it needs to first focus on its foremost duty - of protecting the existing forest wealth in the State.
According to the latest report on forest cover changes in the State available with the forest department, developed with the help of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), the State lost 1,682 hectares of forest cover last year as negative changes in forest cover were observed in 410 forest compartments across the State.
According to the report, Sircilla district is home to 61 forest compartments where negative forest cover changes were recorded in 2018 - highest among all districts in Telangana.
Nirmal district, where forest minister Indrakaran Reddy belongs to, has the second highest number of forest compartments that recorded negative forest cover change (49) and Siddipet district, home to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s constituency Gajwel, 30 forest compartments recorded negative forest cover changes.
Close to 32 per cent of all forest cover lost in the State last year was from Kawal Tiger Reserve.
Of the 1,682 hectares of forest cover lost, around 324 hectares was from Kawal Tiger Reserve forest circle, which is spread across the erstwhile Adilabad district, including Nirmal district.
Such high rate of deforestation inside the tiger reserve indicates lax forest protection measures. It should not come as a surprise that this year deaths of two tigers from the tiger reserve came to light, which were killed by poachers.
The largest negative forest cover change among all forest compartments was recorded at 284 hectares in Oddugudem forest section, followed by 146 hectares in Narsapur West forest section. Both fall under Kawal Tiger Reserve.
The third highest negative forest cover change was 87 hectares in Venkatapur forest section of Sircilla district.