Pawan Kalyan lays foundation stone for Common Facility Centre for forest research, conservation
Amaravati, June 19
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Forest and Environment, Pawan Kalyan on Friday laid the foundation stone for 'Aranyaramam', a first-of-its-kind Common Facility Centre near Mangalagiri.
To be built at a cost of Rs 24 crore, Aranyaramam will serve as the hub for Andhra Pradesh's forest research, training, conservation, and environmental governance initiatives.
'Aranyaramam' will serve as the administrative and supervisory office for the Forest and Environment Department.
It will function as the Command Centre for the units of HANUMAN - Animal Conflict Mitigation Centre, the monitoring hub for the Andhra Pradesh Great Green Wall, wildlife conservation, forest fire management, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, eco-tourism, and digital environmental governance.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, Pawan Kalyan reviewed the HANUMAN gallery showcasing wildlife rescue operations.
Officials highlighted that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department successfully carried out 185 wildlife rescues and 36 human-wildlife conflict mitigation operations in 2024 alone.
The Deputy Chief Minister also launched a programme named 'Nandanavanam' to revitalise nature in an area that had suffered environmental destruction due to mining. He planted a native banyan sapling.
Mining operations conducted in the area since 2013 have severely degraded the natural hill terrain and forest cover, resulting in rampant environmental destruction.
According to a statement from the office of the Deputy Chief Minister, he has launched an initiative to restore nature to this region.
'Nandanavanam' stands as the first initiative aimed at restoring greenery to the forest areas depleted by mining. He planted the banyan sapling with the resolve to transform this entire area into a lush 'Nandanavanam' (a celestial garden/paradise) filled with trees.
On this occasion, Pawan Kalyan clarified that the 'Nandanavanam' concept is being advanced with the aim of providing future generations with an environment rich in clean air and natural resources by enhancing greenery across the state and restoring natural resources.
The event was attended by State Forest and Environment Department Principal Secretary Kantilal Dande; Forest Department Advisor Mallikarjuna Rao; PCCF (Forest Department) P.V. Chalapathi Rao; State Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation Chairman Chillapalli Srinivasa Rao, and others.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rs 24 crore for a Common Facility Centre is substantial amount. I appreciate the vision behind HANUMAN centre for wildlife conflict mitigation and Great Green Wall monitoring. But what about the mining that destroyed the hill terrain since 2013? Hope Nandanavanam isn't just symbolic planting - need real restoration of that mined area. Let's see actual results.
Interesting to see a Deputy CM personally involved in forest conservation and wildlife rescue monitoring. The 'Nandanavanam' concept of restoring mined areas back to greenery is ambitious. Hope they also address the mining issue at its root rather than just planting trees after destruction.
Great that Pawan Kalyan is taking environmental portfolio seriously! The HANUMAN gallery and wildlife rescue operations sound very practical. But I hope they also focus on local community involvement in forest conservation - that's where real change happens. Nandanavanam should include local species planting, not just ornamental trees.
As someone from AP, I'm cautiously optimistic. The mining destruction since 2013 is a serious issue - that area needs massive restoration. Rs 24 crore is not small amount. Hope there's transparency in how this Common Facility Centre operates and that the HANUMAN centre actually helps farmers dealing with animal conflicts.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.