The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : HUDA greenery drive: one lakh saplings planted in 61 colonies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 07, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

HUDA greenery drive: one lakh saplings planted in 61 colonies

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: With large tracts of open spaces belonging to various institutions in twin cities covered under greenery programme, Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is now training its sights on upcoming residential colonies in municipalities and gram panchayats.

HUDA, as part of its Green Hyderabad Environment Programme (GHEP), planted one lakh saplings and provided tree guards in 61 colonies of 12 municipalities and 18 gram panchayats during this season, said HUDA Executive Director (GHEP) K.S. Reddy.

The saplings would be nurtured for a year by HUDA and then the respective residential welfare associations would take over. "Greening in urban areas is a regular process with new saplings planted in place of those cut down for development works like road-widening which can't be helped in any city. Thanks to the tropical climate, saplings grow in a short period," Mr. Reddy said.

Some of the gram panchayats adjoining the municipalities like Meerpet, Vadangipet, Almasguda, Boduppal, Medipally, Aushapur, Nagaram, Mallapur, Gagillapur, Kompally, Bogaram, Brahmanpalli, Kareemguda, Turkayamjal, Manneguda, Bongulur, Nagarcole, among others have now become city suburbs, he says. "The response from the residential colony associations in these areas has been encouraging."

About 20 to 25 per cent of saplings in the residential colonies planted along the roads comprise `Neem' and `Kanuga', a biodiesel plant.

"Though Kanuga is slow in growth, the plant remains green even in summer and gives a good yield after five to six years," he said.

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