HYDERABAD: Despite the surplus rain this year, the fifth phase of Haritha Haram has failed miserably in meeting its targets. As per the progress report of Haritha Haram’s fifth phase, only 37.5 crore trees have been planted in the State, against the target of 83.3 crore for this year — 54 per cent less than the set target.
Not unlike each year, the forest department was determined to plant more trees in the GHMC and HMDA areas where the survival rate of the saplings in these areas is not more than 60 per cent. But both of them have failed to meet their targets. Slightly over 65 lakh saplings of a 2.5-crore target in GHMC and 82 lakh saplings out of a 5.8-crore target in HMDA were planted.
“The target was set by the forest department and not by the HMDA. This year we focused on planting trees on the avenues, in the peripheries of lakes and did as much as we could,” an official from HMDA told TNIE.
In response, an official from the forest department, said, “HMDA and GHMC are complaining that they do not have enough space for plants in the city. In Medchal and Kothagudem we have planted more than set targets. These districts gave more land, that’s why.”