HUDA takes up massive tree-plantation programme

The usual fanfare, in the backdrop of Saturday’s bomb blasts, was missing. However, the intent to do something good and substantial towards increasing the green-cover in the twin cities was there.

Hundreds of schoolchildren, women from various self-help groups and officials of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) did their best to look purposeful in the ‘One Day Two-Lakh Plantations’ programme, which was inaugurated at Kowkoor, Shameerpet, on Wednesday.
Over 60,000 seedlings were planted at Defence land, Kowkoor, Shameerpet, while another 1,10,000 lakh seedlings were planted near the Ordinance Factory, Yeddumailaram, Sangareddy mandal. Students from neighbouring schools planted another 10,000 saplings at Cherlapally Industrial Area, Kapra.

Students also planted 5,000 saplings each at Rajendranagar and L.B. Nagar municipality and another 10,000 saplings at Pashamailaram, Sangareddy. “A few years ago, the twin cities just had 4 per cent green cover and now after taking up this project consistently, the total green cover has increased to 26 per cent. Women from various self-help groups and students played a very important role in achieving such success,” said Executive Director (Urban Forestry), HUDA, K. S. Reddy.

The programme came as a blessing for women from the self-help groups who received cheques to the tune of Rs. 20 lakh, which were distributed to them by HUDA Chairman D. Sudheer Reddy. “Around 2,000 women are being benefited by this project. They are engaged in nursery raising activity by working for couple of hours. Seedlings raised by them are being used for this project,” Mr. Sudheer Reddy said. According to HUDA officials, the planting programme has been a success with survival percentage of the saplings, in some cases, going up to 90 per cent.

“We are choosing disease-free, tall robust seedlings for such projects. Right kind of soil preparation and efficient cultural operations like soil and moisture conservation measures have only added to our success,” Mr. K.S. Reddy said.