Andhra Pradesh government aims to increase forest cover by 50 per cent

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government is determined to protect forests in the state, says minister for environment, forests, and science & technology Siddha Raghava Rao. Addressing a gathering marking the International Day of Biological Diversity at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram here on Monday, Mr Raghava Rao said the AP government is organising the programme with the theme of “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism,” projected by UN. The Andhra Pradesh State Board for Biodiversity is making efforts to preserve the biodiversity in state, he said.

The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is taking measures to increase the forest cover in the state from 22 per cent to 50 per cent in future, says Mr Raghava Rao. He said that he made efforts to increase the budgets of the forest department by 50 per cent. He said that the state has a very rare herbs and valuable red sandal wood reserves.

Andhra Pradesh has a huge coast line, with a variety of species and climatic conditions attracting lakhs of tourists. Forest officials should come forward to develop the green belts to remove environmental imbalances,” says Mr Raghava Rao. Later, he inaugurated the exhibition on biodiversity in which various government departments have participated.