Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said Andhra Pradesh aims to plant one billion trees in a single day and targets planting five crore trees this year.
Participating in a Vana Mahotsavam programme at the ADCL Park in Ananthavaram, Amaravati, on Thursday, Naidu and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan planted saplings in the ADCL Park. They took a round of the pollution control stalls near the venue.
Announcing that AP’s target is 50 per cent green cover by 2047, Naidu said, “It is a matter of great pride to launch the initiative to plant one crore saplings in a single day. By the next Environment Day, we aim to grow 5.58 crore saplings. Currently, AP has 37,421 sq.km of forest area, which is 23 per cent of the total state area.”
He said, “Including the greenery outside these forests, the state’s green cover stands at 30.05 per cent. Our goal is to increase this to 50 per cent by 2047. We must become the nation’s role model in greenery.”
Naidu affirmed, “Amaravati will be the guiding light for future generations. We will develop Amaravati into a beautiful city, introducing Miyawaki-style and international-standard gardens. From a state once struggling with power supply, we’ve now reached a stage where households can generate power from rooftops.”
He announced that the state would provide free 2 KW solar panels for SC/ST families and make Andhra Pradesh a national leader in green energy.
Naidu alleged that the previous governments planted trees only for photo-ops. “In the past, when a chief minister travelled by helicopter, trees along the roads were cut down for visibility. We will rather ensure trees are protected. Planting trees is our duty; cutting them down is a crime. In some countries, felling trees without government permission leads to jail.”
Saying that global warming was a serious threat, the CM noted that “rainfall is declining, groundwater is depleting, agriculture is at risk and people are falling ill” due to fluoride contamination. To escape from this crisis, everyone must plant trees, he said.
Mentioning his personal commitment to the environment, the CM recalled, “Whenever Vanajeevi (Forest Man) Ramaiah met me, he brought for me a sapling. He dedicated his life to raising awareness about tree-planting across villages. He is an inspiration. In my childhood, a social activist named Keshava Naidu worked in our village to protect forests. These influences inspired me deeply. I am glad that the environment department, so close to my heart, is now being managed by deputy CM Pawan Kalyan.”
Announcing the Seed Rakhi Campaign for environmental protection, Naidu stated, “We will develop Nagara Vanams (urban forests) in all 175 constituencies. Girls should plant Seed Rakhis made from seeds of plants representing their siblings’ birth stars, contributing to environmental well-being in these Nagara Vanams.”
The chief minister said, “We had started initiatives to generate power from waste, under which waste-to-energy plants have been set up in Guntur and Visakhapatnam, but the previous government neglected this area. We utilise 90 per cent of dry urban waste for energy, and compost units are being established in rural areas.”
He said the state has already set up 157 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle centres in 87 municipalities. By October 2, all 17 municipal corporations would be free from single-use plastic; and by June 5 next year, the entire state would be plastic-free.
