Hyderabad: Forests minister Indrakaran Reddy and education minister Sabita Indra Reddy on Thursday inaugurated six new urban forest parks in the Maheshwaram constituency in Ranga Reddy.
The new urban parks are in Nagaram, Pallegadda, Sirigiripuram, Sri Nagar, Tummalur and Manyankancha in the Maheshwaram constituency of the Rangareddy district.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) developed the six parts at a cost of 22 crores.
Minister Indrakaran Reddy announced that the state government is planning to plant 19.54 crore saplings in Telangana in the eighth phase of the Haritha Haaram initiative.
“With the inspiration of CM KCR, MP Santhosh Kumar initiated the program of planting saplings across the country through the Green India Challenge program. Apart from the common people, celebrities and industrialists were also made participants in it,” he said.
Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy thanked the chief minister and forest minister for setting up urban forest parks to create urban lung space around the concrete jungle that Hyderabad has become.
She added that for one day per week, locals will be allowed into the parks for free.
Urban forest parks
The state government plans to establish 109 urban forest parks at a cost of Rs 700 crores across Telangana. A total of 39 such parks have been opened to the public. With the six new ones, a total of 45 urban parks are now open for everyone.
The designing of these parks has been done in phases. The first few goals each park has to serve are to have a proper entry gate, walking path and viewpoint.
Next, they should have protective walls constructed around the forest area. After the first two goals are reached, the next priority will be given to the creation of an entry plaza, pathway, safari track, gazebo, watch tower, gap plantation and other such facilities.
The entire forest area will be converted into a conservation zone as a centre for restoration programs, biodiversity and water storage. In order to grow a 100% dense forest, the department only plants varieties that grow according to the local area, soil nature and weather conditions.
