HYDERABAD: Telangana has achieved only 74% of its afforestation target over the past six years, despite receiving over `3,352 crore under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and other centrally funded schemes. The data, shared by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in response to a Lok Sabha question by Telangana MP Kunduru Raghuveer, reveals significant gaps between the intended and actual outcomes of the state’s green efforts.
“Between 2019 and 2025, the state was tasked with afforesting 36,923 hectares. However, only 27,373 hectares were actually covered. The underperformance is particularly stark from 2021 onwards. For instance, in 2023-24, Telangana afforested just 551 hectares out of a target of 919 hectares, despite receiving Rs 455 crore for the year. While the current year (2024-25) shows some improvement, with 13,687 hectares achieved so far out of a massive 17,963-hectare target, the state still falls short of its goals,” noted the reply.
Year-wise data shows that Telangana achieved 4,415 hectares in 2.19-20 against a target of 6,269 hectares, supported by Rs 501.26 crore in approved funding. In 2020-21, 4,178 hectares were afforested against a target of 4,644 hectares, with Rs 483.78 crore sanctioned. The performance began to dip from 2021-22, with 2,490 hectares achieved out of 3,331 targeted, despite an increased allocation of Rs 752.71 crore. The trend continued into 2022-23 and 2023-24, even as fund allocations remained high.
The ministry attributed the shortfalls to implementation capacity issues, monsoon variability, and limited land availability, all of which are known challenges in executing large-scale afforestation projects. Environmental experts warn that without robust monitoring and survival audits, many plantation efforts may remain on paper, failing to translate into meaningful ecological impact.
Alongside afforestation, the ministry highlighted Telangana’s urban efforts under the Nagar Van Yojana. Since its launch in 2021-21, the state has received `24.72 crore to develop 60 Nagar Van (urban forest) projects covering 1,690.6 hectares, in partnership with urban local bodies and forest departments. The scheme aims to convert degraded or vacant land in cities into green space to support biodiversity and improve air quality.
Telangana has also undertaken massive plantation drives since 2019, planting over 143 crore saplings across 21.15 hectares through a combination of central and state-led programmes. Events such as World Environment Day, Vana Mahotsavam and Wildlife Week have witnessed large-scale citizen participation.
A recent addition is the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, launched on June 5, 2024, under which 1.15 crore trees have been planted in the state so far this year.
Despite these achievements, the state’s exclusion from the Green India Mission, a centrally sponsored programme focused on restoring degraded forest areas and supporting forest-based livelihoods, has raised questions.
The ministry clarified that no proposals from the state are pending under CAMPA, but confirmed that Telangana is not currently implementing the Green India Mission. This is particularly notable since the scheme is designed to benefit districts with low forest cover, such as Nalgonda.