Once a parched brown rocky arid land, the country’s youngest state Telangana has gradually transformed its landscape which is now marked by large stretches of blue because of the vast reservoirs constructed for one of the largest irrigation projects in the state verdant and green, thanks to the large-scale afforestation work in its denuded forest land.

A drive on the state highways nowadays is a pleasing sight with long stretches of green cover, mostly fruit bearing trees which have ensued a restoration of its ecology.

While the state’s forest cover has gone up by 3.67 per cent its capital Hyderabad has been recognised as the Tree city of world, the only city in India to feature in the list. Initially, Haritha Haram ~ a programme aimed at increasing the forest cover in the state ~ was taken up by the TRS government annually during the monsoon season.

The programme, a brainchild of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao saw huge public participation as the state government was able to rope in not only the masses but also institutions and various organisations, and even the corporates to make it a successful initiative.

But taking it a step further it was the TRS MP J Santosh Kumar who came up with Green India Challenge which has really caught the fancy of the people. Initially, the challenge gained popularity as celebrities and politicians of all hues visiting Hyderabad were roped in to plant a sapling.

TRS supporters celebrated the birthdays of chief minister Rao or the working president, KT Rama Rao, by planting crores of saplings which gave an opportunity to even the ordinary TRS workers to do his bit on these occasions. Finally, the challenge which began on social media manifested into something bigger as denuded forest lands were used for afforestation and thereby renewing the green cover of the state.

As Santosh Kumar pointed out: “The thick, dense forest cover ensures timely arrival of seasons, rains which in turn increases the agricultural productivity, reduces environmental pollution, instills healthy living. And I, too, wanted to do my bit for the environment, thus Green India Challenge was born,” while giving credit to the chief minister’s vision for the turnaround in increasing forest cover.

The change is visible at Palamuru a rocky arid land has that turned green under this initiative and even found a place in Guiness Book of World Records for preparing seed balls on a record scale.

The Palamuru district women organisations prepared 2.10 crore seed balls in a record 10 days and sprayed on hills and upper terrains using drones within a month to achieve more greenery at less cost. Recently at Adilabad a million saplings were planted by some 30,000 party workers.