Expanding green cover: Telangana to transform Vana Mahotsavam- 2025 into mass social movement

Hyderabad: Telangana government will transform Vana Mahotsavam- 2025 into a mass social movement, aimed at significantly expanding the state’s green cover.

Forest, Environment, and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha announced the initiative during a high-level review meeting held at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat here.

Addressing the meeting, the minister called for coordinated efforts among departments and urged officials to involve citizens, institutions, and communities in large-scale plantation drives. “This should not be just a government program. It must become a people’s movement,” she said.

During the course of the meeting, the Forest Department presented a comprehensive plan to begin plantations from the first week of June, coinciding with the early arrival of the monsoon.

District-wide plantation drive

Elaborating further, the officials briefed the minister that plantation activities will be carried out across districts, mandals, villages, and municipalities during the peak monsoon months of June, July, and August. In 2024, the state achieved 95 percent of its plantation target by planting 19.04 crore saplings. In return, Surekha said that this year, the officials should aim to achieve 100 percent of the target.

Village-level nurseries have been instructed to grow and distribute saplings locally to enhance community ownership. Officials were also directed to avoid previous lapses and improve execution on the ground.

Promoting household and institutional participation

The officials said that as part of this year's strategy, saplings will be distributed to every household, and citizens will be encouraged to plant them on their premises. The department will also fulfill public requests for saplings promptly.

The list of recommended species includes flowering plants like rose, hibiscus, and oleander; fruit-bearing trees such as custard apple, guava, amla, and black plum; and medicinal and native species like tulsi, drumstick, pongamia, neem, tamarind, soapnut, toddy palm, and date palm. Special attention will be given to identifying zone-specific species suited to local climatic and soil conditions.

Flowering and ornamental plants will be planted along roadsides, lake bunds, schools, anganwadis, hospitals, temples, and other public spaces to enhance the visual and ecological landscape.

Recognizing green champions

To encourage greater public engagement, Minister Surekha announced that individuals and communities actively participating in the plantation drive will be recognized and rewarded. She also proposed honoring the families of green crusaders like Vanajeevi Ramaiah, whose lifelong efforts have inspired afforestation campaigns across the state.

As Telangana prepares for Vana Mahotsavam 2025, the government aims to not only plant crores of saplings but also sow the seeds of long-term environmental responsibility among its citizens, the minister said.

The review meeting was attended by top officials, including Principal Secretary Ahmad Nadeem, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. Suvarna, MA&UD Secretary T.K. Sridevi, and Special Officer Priyanka Varghese.