KCR Launches Harithaharam, Says Will Banish Drought

Launching at Gundrampally in the Nalgonda district on Friday the much-hyped two-week Harithaharam campaign to plant saplings, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao exhorted the people of the State to take up the activity on a big scale, as it would result in higher rains and banish drought from the State.

To mark the kick-off of what he hopes will be a green revolution, KCR planted Neem and Kadambam saplings at the village and at the Choutuppal marketyard, where he also inaugurated a godown and announced Rs 350 crores for the local Pillaipally - Dharma Reddy canal.

As is his wont, the Chief Minister criticized the previous governments for indiscriminate felling of trees that resulted in a perennial drought in the State, and said that it was the duty of everyone to make the State green through planting saplings over the next four years. The target for the next four years is planting 230 crore saplings.

He lauded the Telangana people as a great race as they had displayed an indomitable spirit during the statehood movement, and said that they would show the same support for the green revolution which would then result in much more rains and in the monkeys returning to the forests. The entire nation was suffering from the drought problem, and Telangana would become a role model for others as it achieved its target of increasing the green cover to 33% from 24%, he said.

The Chief Minister also said that he took up the green drive in Nalgonda as it lacked both a forest cover and greenery, resulting in monkeys invading the villages and towns. He expressed hope that the district would become green soon.

He also asked the students, teachers, people, leaders and officials to take utmost care to protect the saplings planted.

Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy, MPs Boora Narsaiah Goud and Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Party leaders and officials attended the meeting addressed by the CM.