NewKerala.com

Key Points

On World Environment Day, Telangana's Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy emphasized the government's commitment to protecting nature and promoting sustainability. Ministers across party lines highlighted the importance of environmental conservation, with calls to increase green cover and reduce pollution. The state organized plantation programs and shared messages urging citizens to take environmental responsibility seriously. Political tensions emerged as opposition leaders criticized current environmental policies and funding cuts.

Key Points: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Vows Green Future on World Environment Day

  • Telangana commits to environmental sustainability and green cover expansion
  • Ministers call for reducing pollution and planting trees
  • State launches plantation programs across Hyderabad
  • Political debate emerges over green initiatives
3 min read

Government committed to protecting nature: Telangana CM

Telangana's CM and ministers pledge environmental protection, sustainability, and green initiatives on World Environment Day 2024

"You can't drink plastic. You can't breathe smoke. You can't live without nature. - Konda Surekha, Environment Minister"

Hyderabad, June 5

The Telangana government is committed to respecting and protecting nature, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Thursday.

The Chief Minister, in his message on World Environment Day, called for rededication to protecting the environment.

"Let us all rededicate ourselves to understanding nature, respecting its rules and boundaries, and doing our best to bring sustainability to every aspect of our lives, private, public, individual and collective," he said.

"As a government, we are totally committed to respecting and protecting nature, through rigorous protection, rejuvenation, recycling, re-use, and sustainability," the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

"Let us all come together and strive to make Telangana the greenest, bluest, cleanest and one of the most environmentally-friendly places on Planet Earth," he added.

Minister for Environment and Forest Konda Surekha, in her message on World Environment Day, highlighted the need to protect nature and preserve life by saying no to plastic.

"You can’t drink plastic. You can’t breathe smoke. You can’t eat concrete. You can’t live without nature. This World Environment Day, let’s remember what really sustains us," she posted on social media.

As part of the World Environment Day celebrations, the Telangana Pollution Control Board organised a plantation programme at the Golconda Area Hospital in Hyderabad.

Minister for Transport and BC Welfare, Ponnam Prabhakar, who is also the in-charge minister for Hyderabad, planted a sapling.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister warned that if people ignore plantations, a situation may arise where they have to wear oxygen masks. He said that if measures were not taken to control pollution, people would suffer from various ailments.

Prabhakar said that every citizen should take up plantation as a social responsibility and should take care of the plant.

Meanwhile, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T. Harish Rao slammed the Congress government in the state for cutting plantation funds by 53 per cent.

In his message on World Environment Day, he said he saluted the visionary leadership of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

He said that Haritha Haram, the massive plantation drive of the previous BRS government, boosted Telangana's green cover by 7.7 per cent, from 24 per cent to 31 per cent, with 250 crore saplings planted.

"We didn't just promise a greener future; we delivered. In contrast, Congress cut plantation funds by 53% (₹36Cr to ₹17Cr) and reduced targets," he posted on X.

Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government even chopped down trees at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), leading to environmental and wildlife destruction.

"Revanth Reddy's negligence is evident not only in environmental destruction but also in governance. HCU's trees fell victim to his actions," he said.

"We demand that the HCU forest be restored at the earliest, in accordance with the Honourable Supreme Court's directions," the BRS leader added.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rajesh K.
Good to see our CM taking environment seriously! 🌿 But actions speak louder than words - hope they implement proper waste management systems in Hyderabad. The lakes are still polluted despite all previous govt claims.
P
Priya M.
Why is everything becoming political? Both parties should work together for environment! Cutting trees at HCU is shameful if true, but Haritha Haram was also just a photo-op in many places. We need real ground-level changes.
S
Suresh B.
Plantation drives are good but what about protecting existing trees? Every year we lose hundreds of heritage trees to road widening projects. Government should make tree transplantation mandatory before any infrastructure work.
A
Ananya R.
The minister's warning about oxygen masks is scary but true! 😷 Delhi's situation should be an eye-opener for all of us. We need more urban forests in Hyderabad before it's too late. Kudos to the plantation drive at Golconda Hospital!
V
Vikram S.
Instead of blaming each other, politicians should focus on solutions. Why not make environmental education compulsory in schools? Children can influence their families to adopt sustainable practices. Small steps lead to big changes.
N
Neha P.
The plastic ban announcement is good, but implementation is weak. Shops still give plastic bags freely. Government should provide affordable alternatives first. Also, what about industrial pollution? That's the bigger threat to our environment.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50