HMDA to Distribute Five Free Saplings Each to One Lakh Families
HMDA will distribute five free saplings to one lakh families under its Vanamahotsavam campaign to encourage home gardening and greener neighbourhoods.
As part of Vanamahotsavam, the HMDA has proposed to distribute five saplings, including fruit-bearing and ornamental plants, to every household through 44 nurseries under its urban forest wing. The programme aims to distribute free saplings to one lakh families.
HMDA officials said that Hyderabad has approximately 22 lakh families and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), every person should consume about 200 grams of fruits and 300 grams of vegetables daily.
In Hyderabad alone, around 6.3 lakh tonnes of fruits and vegetables are required annually. With increasing prices and financial pressures, many middle-class families find it difficult to purchase sufficient fruits and vegetables regularly, according to HMDA.
“We urge citizens to grow fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and ornamental plants organically in home gardens, kitchen gardens and terrace gardens,” said HMDA in a statement. The campaign has the slogan, “A Fruit Plant in Every Home – Nutrition for Every Family, Greenery for Every City.”
The programme invited the participation of voluntary organizations, clubs, NGOs, colony welfare associations and all citizens to make it a people’s movement for a greener Hyderabad.