Latest news with #HasiruHejje-Kalaburagi
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
28 lakh saplings to be planted in five districts of KK region, says Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre
The Forest Department has set a target of planting 28 lakh saplings in five districts of Kalyana Karnataka region with the aim of increasing the forest and tree cover area in the region, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre has announced. He was speaking at the launching of 'Hasiru Patha-Karnataka' and 'Hasiru Hejje-Kalaburagi' programmes under Vanamahotsava-2025 in Kalaburagi city on Saturday. Mr. Khandre said that the Kalyana Karnataka region has less than 5% forest cover; to increase the green cover in the region the Forest Department has launched a massive plantation drive with a target of planting 28 lakh saplings, which includes seven lakh young trees, in five districts of Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, and Koppal. He explained that reduction of forest cover drives climate change and further contributes to global warming and alters weather patterns, so tree plantation initiatives are crucial for raising environment awareness and combating issues like deforestation, soil erosion, floods and droughts; so the department has launched 'Manegondu Mara, Urigondu Vana' [One tree for every home, one forest for every Village] programme for conducting awareness campaigns to encourage people about tree plantation. The Forest Department had planted 8.5 crore saplings in the State in the last two years and this year the department has set a target to plant three crore saplings across the State, Mr. Khandre highlighting that the post-plantation maintenance is crucial for tree survival, said that each saplings will be geo-tagged with a survey number which will be monitored by third-party private agency. The Minister said that efforts are underway to establish wildlife sanctuaries, parks, zoos in Kalaburagi district, and the department was planning to develop an eco-tourism park in Chandrampalli in Chincholi taluk. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge, legislators B.R. Patil, M.Y. Patil, Allamprabhu Patil, Thippannappa Kamaknoor and Jagdev Guttedar were present.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Successive govts. failed to protect green cover, says Mallikarjun Kharge
Expressing displeasure over declining forest cover in India, the All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun M. Kharge said that the successive State governments had failed to protect the forest area by not effectively enforcing forest preservation laws. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the 'Hasiru Patha' and 'Hasiru Hejje-Kalaburagi' programmes under Vanamahotsava-2025 jointly organised by Departments of Forest, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Urban Development and the district administration here on Saturday. Though the country has lost its 20 lakh hectares of forest cover in the last ten years, the State governments are nonchalant in implementing the laws to protect the forest land, Mr. Kharge alleged. 'Our former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi introduced the Forest Conservation Act 1980, and further the Forest Rights Act was introduced during Man Mohan Singh's tenure, and recently the Modi-led government enacted the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, but no States in the country are fully complying with forest related laws. If this situation continues, the environment degradation can indeed worsen air quality and generate more health hazards in the coming days,' Mr. Kharge expressed. Expressing concern over the increasing deaths due to cardiac arrest, especially among youngsters' the leader said that clean air, water and a healthy environment are crucial for good health. Currently, India's forest and tree cover is 25.17 % of the country's geographical area, while Karnataka's forest cover is at 21.21 % of its total geographical area. At least 33% of forest cover is necessary to ensure adequate oxygen supply and water availability and to promote environmental health. Stressing on the need to increase forest cover to combat climate change and global warming, Mr. Kharge suggested the State government develop forests near the backwaters of the reservoirs and dams. The leader appealed to the public to join their hands with the government in expanding green cover by planting saplings at their homes, schools, and on the borders of agricultural fields. Just planting saplings is not a solution, ensuring survival of the planted trees is equally important, he said. The State government aims to plant three crore saplings this year, of which even if 2.5 crore of saplings survive, it will be highly beneficial, Mr. Kharge expressed. Mr. Kharge also distributed saplings to the students on the occasion. Minister for Forest and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge; MP, legislators, senior officials from the Forest Department, RDPR and Urban Development departments were present.
