Making Haritha Haram programme not limited to forests only, the State government wants to spread it to all districts of Telangana to make them green. According to sources, under the scheme, Smriti Vanams (memorial parks) would come up in the municipalities of the State under programme and the State government and the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department has started preparations to establish them.

The Smriti Vanams programme is being taken up by the MAUD department on the instructions of Chief Minister K Chadrasekhara Rao. In his recent address to the collectors and municipal commissioners, KCR lamented that the green cover in the state much less than desired as it was 24 per cent as against desired 33 per cent. The CM said that Smriti Vanams should be developed in the municipalities.

He wanted the urban local bodies to take plantations on a major scale in the State to increase the green cover to maintain ecological balance. On the instruction of the CM, the MAUD has issues an action plan for the ULBs on Smriti Vanams. Issuing the directives to the municipalities, Commissioner and Director of Municipal administration B Janardhan Reddy stated that avenue, block and scatter plantation should be taken up in the municipalities and the corporations.

Reminding the directives of the CM, the CDMA said that every house should plant at least two fruit bearing plants. Services of the students should be used to distribute the plants to each house. Speaking on the Smriti Vanams, he said that each municipality should have at least one such park, two in municipalities of district headquarters, three in municipal corporations and four in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation.

The commissioners were told to take the help of Lions, Rotary and JAYCES clubs. They were also told to take the help of philanthropists, students, teachers, colleges, ward members, chairpersons and mayors. The municipal commissioners were told to complete the ground work before the onset of monsoon in the state in already identified sites for taking up plantations for Smriti Vanams.

The CDMA instructed the officials to use Kampa Chettu to protect the plants on the internal roads if anyone does not come forward to provide tree guards. He told them to contact the Forest department officials to place the indents for plants. He said that the plants and seedlings should be transported to a central place for the distribution. Tractors and trailers of the ULBs should be used to procure the plants from the nearby nurseries.

The commissioners were told to create awareness among the people of the municipalities for extending their cooperation to the Haritha Haram programme by involving self-help groups, social welfare groups, colony welfare associations and merchant associations.