Ponnam Calls for Rainwater Harvesting to Fight Drought
He referred to the example of Emperor Ashoka planting trees along roads, and said it reflected long-term environmental commitment.
Adilabad:Transport and BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday called on people to conserve rainwater and take up large-scale tree plantation to mitigate possible drought conditions linked to the El Niño effect.
Speaking after planting saplings at Deer Park in Karimnagar on World Environment Day, he urged people to dig pits for rainwater harvesting and promote avenue and housing plantations. He said the state government had introduced an electric vehicle policy and provided ₹1,200 crore in tax exemptions to curb pollution, noting that pollution levels in Delhi had made living conditions difficult.
He referred to the example of Emperor Ashoka planting trees along roads, and said it reflected long-term environmental commitment.
Later, along with Raghunandan Rao, he participated in a plantation drive at the Urban Oxygen Park in Mrpadaga village in Kondapaka mandal of Siddipet district. Both leaders released a poster titled “Chettu Viluva Meeku Telusa”.
Prabhakar said tree plantation should become part of daily life rather than remain a one-time programme, and called for planting fruit-bearing trees to address the movement of monkeys into habitations due to loss of forest cover. He said the government was also encouraging plantation of palm trees under welfare schemes for toddy tappers.
Raghunandan Rao called for reducing plastic use and improving green cover in line with population growth. He also stressed crop diversification, urging farmers to focus on millets and pulses, and said plans were underway to plant one lakh trees along roads from Medak to Elkathurty.
District collector K. Hymawathi said efforts were being made to restore 33 per cent green cover in the district, adding that 22 lakh saplings were planted last year under Vana Mahotsavam.
In Adilabad, Jana Vignana Vedika members undertook plantation at a township park, while forest officials carried out high-density mixed plantation in Yapalguda village. Collector Rajarshi Shah emphasised the need for tree planting in the context of global warming.
