image ©MohdArif

TheHindu.com press: Finance Minister T. Harish Rao along with Vanajeevi Darapalli Ramaiah watching the launching of a drone carrying seed balls to be dropped in interior forest areas in Siddipet district on Saturday.

In an innovative approach to increase the forest cover in the State, for the first time the Forest Department has used drones for dropping seed balls in interior forest areas. The experiment was successfully done at Siddipet district which would be replicated in other districts shortly

Padma Shri awardee Daripalli Ramaiah also known as Vanajeevi Ramaiah said that dropping seed balls in forest area is a good effort to increase greenery.

Addressing a gathering after launching an innovative dropping of seed balls in forest area with drones along with Finance Minister T. Harish Rao at Marpadaga village in Siddipet mandal on Saturday, Mr. Ramaiah said that naturally grown plants will be strong and healthy. “Environmental destruction has been taking place across the world and everyday forest is degraded in about 50,000 hectares. We can have a healthy living only by growing trees,” he said, adding that everyone should participate in Haritha Haram programme voluntarily.

Mr. Harish Rao said that serving the nature is serving the people and we can have fresh air with planting more saplings. “People at places like New Delhi have been suffering due to lack of proper oxygen. Everyday we are consuming about three cylinders worth of oxygen coming to a total cost of ₹ 2,100 per day and it counts for ₹ 5 crore worth of oxygen in the life time of a person,” said Mr. Harish Rao, adding that the people are consuming oxygen at free of cost and not returning what they are due to society.

The Minister said that drones are being used to drop seed balls at interior forest areas where people can not reach and priority was given to plants that can feed monkeys and other animals. He has also stated that the Telangana government has been according top priority to increase greenery in the State and increasing forest cover.

Images and quotes courtesy the Hindu, MohdArif, Telangana today