Jobs galore under afforestation drive in Telangana

Trenches being dug to provide drinking water to wild animals

Hyderabad: Telangana Forest Department has undertaken afforestation work of depleted forest areas and vacant lands by digging staggered  trenches, dovetailing employment guarantee scheme to provide gainful employment to workers suffering due to lockdown.

While these trenches help save forests by storing water and provide drinking water to wild animals, hundreds of villagers have availed employment during these tough times.The Forest Department has taken up digging of these trenches on war footing in addition to creation of water tanks with the help of solar pump sets.

“These trenches help the slopes to retain water by restricting the free flow of rain water from the top. hence every single rain drop during the ensuing monsoon is saved and stored,” R Shobha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) said. She has personally reviewed works under way in different districts.

The PCCF also directed the district officers to see that the workers are provided with drinking water considering the hot summer and also asked them to see that physical distance is maintained while they are at the job. She asked the forest officers to work in tandem with Rural Development Department to sort out technical problems.

She pointed out that in Jannaram division of Kawal Tiger Reserve itself, 80 per cent of the rain water was flowing into Godavari, which should be tapped and saved so that afforestation efforts will become successful.

Divisional Forest Officer Madhavarao said that soil and moisture conservation efforts have been undertaken in a big way to curb severe shortage of water during summer. He pointed out that surface run of water also can be controlled with the help of the measures undertaken by the Forest Department. He said that the initial benefit will be growth of grass that binds the soil and in later stages will help in reviving forest cover.

He informed that tribals in 14 villages under Jannaram division were provided with employment so that they can depend less on forest products. He said that soon the same method will be applied in forest areas of southern parts of the State. Already trench digging work under employment guarantee scheme has begun in Mahbubnagar district.

The department is also trying to create awareness among the divisional ground level staff. The department is keen on spreading similar conservation efforts with the help of the employment guarantee scheme all over the State.

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