State set to be ‘Haritandhra’

Published on 11/17/2006
VV BALAKRISHNA

Hyderabad, Nov 16: Here is some cheerful news to eco-lovers. The State is inching towards achieving the goal of ‘Haritanadhra’ literally. Within and outside the reserve forest areas, the green cover is increasing. And the increase in the vegetation outside the reserve forest area in the State is the highest in the country.

The depressing news is the sight of some buffaloes happily grazing the well-grown grass on the road-dividers near the Begumpet police station. And some eco-insensitive people trampling the grass and cutting plants on the medians.

Coming to the ‘Haritandhra’, thanks to the collective efforts by the Vana Samrakshana Saimthis (VSS) and various government departments, the vegetation area in the reserve forests has increased by 5,097 sq kms in eight years. The increase in the vegetation within the reserve forest was 1,130 sq km in 2003 when compared to 2001 figures.

The green cover outside the reserve forest area increased to 12,120 sq km. It is 4.41 per cent of the state geographical area. The tree cover outside forest area in 2001 was 9,011 sq km. i.e. 3.28 per cent of the geographical area. Andhra Pradesh stood first in the country in vegetative cover outside the forest area, according to latest data available with the Forest Department.

The Forest Survey of India and the Geomatics Centre of the State Forest Department interpreted the satellite images available with National Remote Sensing Agency.

The Geomatics centre of the State forest department has bagged gold icon this year for the effective work done in the field of interpretation of mapping of forest vegetative cover and forest fire hazards zones.

The increase in green cover was significant achievement, said an official of Forest Department and attributed the same to Canadian funds pumped in during 1980-86 and the efforts put in by around 8,663 VSSs and farmers thereafter. Efforts of taking up plantation activity by social forestry wing, various other departments and private agencies like paper mills were the main reason for increase in green cover outside the forest area, according to sources.

Every year the department is planting around 30 to 35 crore seedlings across the State through various sources. In the present season, 47.72 crore seedling were raised in the State and so far 29 crore seedlings were planted.