Ali calls for vigorous efforts in green drive

Active participation by the people in the most beneficial program of Haritha Haram will give clean air and better environment, Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali has said. The Dy CM participated in the sapling plantation drive at the Public Gardens and planted a Neem sapling on the premises and poured water to it on Tuesday. Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Excise Minister T. Padma Rao Goud, Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Hyderabad Mayor Bonthu Rammohan were also present. Mahmood Ali said the green drive was going on a mission mode and the people should voluntarily turn up in large numbers in the program of green expansion. Vigorous efforts by the people, NGOs and businessmen would make Telangana surpass other States in terms of expanding green cover, Ali added. Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said the Public Gardens would soon become an Oxygen Park with a total of 5,000 Neem saplings. “We are planning to supply fruit saplings to the households and plan to grow 1.28 crore saplings in five years and plant 23 lakh saplings of various fruits. Padma Rao said the increase of green cover would prevent adverse effects of ultra violet rays on living beings. Srinivas Yadav and Rammohan also spoke.