Hyderabad’s “Telangana Ku Haritha Haram” (TKHH) programme has helped the State grow its forest cover rapidly. This initiative aimed to plant 230 crore saplings in different phases. By January 2023, Telangana had gone beyond this target, planting around 270.65 crore trees. This achievement, which is 117.68% of the goal, was made with an investment of Rs 10,417 crore. The large-scale plantation drive has played a major role in increasing the State’s green cover.
Between 2015 and 2021, Telangana’s forest cover increased by 6.85%. Hyderabad, in particular, saw an impressive growth of 146.8% during this time. J Santosh Kumar, founder of the Green India Challenge and former MP, mentioned that the previous Telangana government had spent Rs 8,511 crore on the project.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, India’s total forest and tree cover is about 8,09,537 square kilometers, making up 24.62% of the country’s land area. Telangana, which covers 1,12,077 square kilometers, has a forest cover of 21,214 square kilometers, accounting for 18.93% of its total area.
Experts say that increasing forest cover helps improve rainfall patterns. Forests play a key role in the water cycle by affecting rainfall and replenishing groundwater. The “Green India Challenge,” started in 2018, encourages people to plant trees and challenge others to do the same. This has created a chain reaction, raising awareness about the importance of forests and the environment.
