Forest Drive Targets 960 Hectares Under Harit Andhra Plan

04 Sep 2025 CW Team

The targeted regions include Udayagiri, Kavali, Atmakuru, Nellore, and Nellore Rural divisions. Thanks to recent rainfall, plantation work has already been completed over 100 hectares, with pit-digging and soil preparation finalised across most remaining sites.

The department has readied over 20.65 million saplings in its nurseries, selected based on the region’s climate and soil compatibility. Basha expressed confidence that the full target would be met by October, noting the favourable planting conditions and well-prepared sites.

Programme Funding and Workforce Engagement

The initiative is being jointly funded through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Forest Department’s budget. This dual funding model ensures that the programme delivers environmental restoration alongside rural employment.

Thousands of rural workers are currently engaged in sapling raising, pit preparation, watering, and aftercare, offering both ecological and livelihood benefits to the local communities.

Climate Action and Community Participation

Officials emphasised the initiative’s broader goals of boosting tree cover, mitigating climate change, improving groundwater recharge, and enhancing shade and shelter in both urban and rural settings. Plantations are being carried out on vacant government land, along roadsides and highways, in residential colonies, and within existing forest areas.

Environmental activists have welcomed the initiative. R Srinivas, a local environmental volunteer, stated, “Planting trees is not just about greenery—it’s about cleaner air, better rainfall, and a sustainable future. It’s promising to see employment schemes like MGNREGS aligned with climate action.”

Call for Public Involvement

The district administration has encouraged citizens, NGOs, and community-based organisations to participate actively in the afforestation drive. Officials stressed that public ownership is essential for the long-term success of the plantations.

“We urge communities to adopt plantation sites, care for the saplings, and treat them as valuable local assets,” the administration stated.

District Forest Officer Mahaboob Basha has announced that the Forest Department is intensifying green cover efforts under the Harit Andhra Pradesh initiative, aiming to carry out plantations over 960.48 hectares across five forest divisions in the current financial year.The targeted regions include Udayagiri, Kavali, Atmakuru, Nellore, and Nellore Rural divisions. Thanks to recent rainfall, plantation work has already been completed over 100 hectares, with pit-digging and soil preparation finalised across most remaining sites.The department has readied over 20.65 million saplings in its nurseries, selected based on the region’s climate and soil compatibility. Basha expressed confidence that the full target would be met by October, noting the favourable planting conditions and well-prepared sites.Programme Funding and Workforce EngagementThe initiative is being jointly funded through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Forest Department’s budget. This dual funding model ensures that the programme delivers environmental restoration alongside rural employment.Thousands of rural workers are currently engaged in sapling raising, pit preparation, watering, and aftercare, offering both ecological and livelihood benefits to the local communities.Climate Action and Community ParticipationOfficials emphasised the initiative’s broader goals of boosting tree cover, mitigating climate change, improving groundwater recharge, and enhancing shade and shelter in both urban and rural settings. Plantations are being carried out on vacant government land, along roadsides and highways, in residential colonies, and within existing forest areas.Environmental activists have welcomed the initiative. R Srinivas, a local environmental volunteer, stated, “Planting trees is not just about greenery—it’s about cleaner air, better rainfall, and a sustainable future. It’s promising to see employment schemes like MGNREGS aligned with climate action.”Call for Public InvolvementThe district administration has encouraged citizens, NGOs, and community-based organisations to participate actively in the afforestation drive. Officials stressed that public ownership is essential for the long-term success of the plantations.“We urge communities to adopt plantation sites, care for the saplings, and treat them as valuable local assets,” the administration stated.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Jun 2026

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..