Target set to increase forest cover to 33%: Minister Peddireddy

PNS|Vijayawada

Minister for Forests, Energy and Environment Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy has said that CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has set a target to increase the forest cover from 23 per cent to 33 per cent across the State. The minister launched a brochure of Trees Outside Forest in India (TOFI), organised by the Union Forest Ministry and USAID on Wednesday.

The minister said he was happy that the Union Ministry and USAID had come forward to implement the tree plantation programme in the non-forest lands in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu as well as Andhra Pradesh. He said that the programme would help to protect the environment and increase the forest cover, thereby improving the living standards of people. Minister Peddireddy said that through this programme, 2.8 million hectares of non-forest land trees were grown, which was a positive sign.

He said one should understand the importance of trees as 30 to 45 trees absorb one tonnes of carbon dioxide and provide pure oxygen in a year. He said that the trees in the non-forest lands absorb 420 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and provide oxygen and about 1.31 crore people.

The minister said that in order to increase the forest cover across Andhra Pradesh, 1.2 crore saplings had been planted under Jagananna Pachthoranam. More than 65 lakh saplings have been planted in an area of about 17 thousand kilometers under Avenue Plantation.

He said that a mango plantation had been grown in lakhs of acres in Chittoor district alone and that steps had been taken to raise the economic standards of the people. Measures were being taken to strengthen the economic status of farmers through horticulture on a large scale. He said that through RBK’s soil testing, fertilisers, pesticides and machinery were also provided to farmers on subsidy. It was suggested to utilise the services of the Agriculture and Horticulture Assistant in the Secretariats for plantation in non-forest areas.

The minister said that urban parks were being established across the State under the auspices of the Forest Department and 28 sites were selected. This year, the government is working with the aim of constructing 16 urban parks at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

Special Chief Secretary (EFS&T) Nirab Kumar Prasad, PCCF (HOFF), Forest department, Y Madhusudan Reddy, USAID Mission Director Veena Reddy, TOFI chief Dr Chandrasekhar, USAID Deputy Director Varghese Paul and Forest officials participated in the programme.