Like the Rajiv Rahadari or State Highway 1, the NH-65 (Hyderabad-Vijayawada) stretch should also be developed as a green highway to promote ecological sustainability, Telanganaku Haritha Haram OSD Priyanka Varghese said on Tuesday.
She instructed forest officials to plant saplings in three rows on each side of the highway up to Kodad, and the median strip should feature flowering plants to enhance the aesthetics of the highway. Ms. Varghese was here at Tangedu Vanam at Lakkaram village, reviewing preparedness and action plan for the sixth edition of Haritha Haram with District Collectors of Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri.
And the specific point on greening the highway was an instruction from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who passed through this highway on Monday for an official programme in Suryapet, officials said. She said the dead plants on the highway side should be replaced. Its care and management was needed to be taken up by gram panchayats and municipal authorities that are located on the stretch.
The National Highways Authority of India should also contribute funds to the Forest Department for plantation and maintenance, she said. Ms. Varghese called officials to get ready and urged citizens for an active partnership during Haritha Haram. In the past five editions, about 180 crore saplings were planted across Telangana, and the current season scheduled to start June 25 onwards will witness 30 crore saplings more.
Miyawaki model of afforestation, high density planting in small piece of land, which was renamed Yadadri Natural Forest Establishment model for showing encouraging results in the district, should be implemented in all the gram panchayats, she said.