Haritha Haram Will Eliminate Droughts: Harish Rao

Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today exhorted the people of the State to plant at least 40,000 saplings in each village to banish the perennial drought situation in the State and attract rains to fill their lakes, ponds and water bodies with adequate waters.

Rao planted saplings along with others at Ibrahimpur village in the Siddipet mandal as part of the Telangana Haritha Haram program. Speaking on the occasion, he extended his thanks to the people, officials and others who participated in the green drive. He said that the Haritha Haram initiative was aimed at giving a better future to the next generation of the State. The expansion of the green cover would help fight pollution, get rains and in providing ample irrigation for the farm lands, he noted.

"Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao wants 46 crore saplings planted across the State during the next two weeks as part of Haritha Haram. We must also take the responsibility of protecting the saplings planted," he said. He added that the government would work hard for the cause and reach the target of planting 230 crore saplings over four years.

Harish Rao took a dig at the previous governments for not taking up such initiatives, which had led to the depletion of forests and wildlife entering human habitats. The TRS government was taking up the exercise to enhance rains and send the wildlife (monkeys) back to the woods, he said. The people would surely see the green drive helping in solving the drought issue plaguing the State, he promised.