HYDERABAD: Even with ample wealth and material comforts, the life of humans will be miserable without quality environment, said Finance Minister Harish Rao on Sunday. He added that a Budget of Rs 791 crore has been sanctioned to the Forest Department.
Of the total budget for environment this year, the highest has been sanctioned for afforestation schemes, which includes State government’s pet project Haritha Haram. As much as Rs 500 crore has been allocated for the same.
Meanwhile, city-based environmentalists cried foul over the budgetary allocation for environment, claiming the government has not increased it since the previous fiscal year. In the past, CM KCR, has expressed his concerns over the growing pollution and has urged the officials to plant more saplings to keep the city’s temperature low.
In 2019-20, an amount of Rs 2 crore and 94 lakh was allocated for afforestation. This year, the funds have doubled. Overall there is only a marginal increase in the scheme’s expenditure - from 8.67 crore in 2019-20 to 10. 07 crore this year.
Criticising this year’s budget, Narasimha Reddy Dhonti, an environmentalist, said, "There is hardly any increase in allocations -- not even the usual 10 per cent."