Chittoor district targets 50% green cover by 2047 under Mission Haritha Andhra Pradesh

Chittoor district has set a goal of achieving 50% green cover by 2047 under the State government’s flagship Mission Haritha Andhra Pradesh initiative, District Collector Sumit Kumar said on Wednesday.

Addressing a meeting on inter-departmental coordination and community participation, the Collector noted that the district currently has 34% green cover and stressed the need for sustained efforts to bridge the gap. He urged officials to take up extensive plantation drives, combining Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and Artificial Regeneration (AR) methods to restore degraded forest lands and expand greenery in low-density areas.

Mr. Sumit Kumar said afforestation activities would be intensified along national and State highways, rural roads, canals, tank bunds, and railway margins, as well as on revenue wastelands, institutional lands, and tank foreshore areas. He directed all departments concerned to make effective use of MGNREGS funds for large-scale plantation work and emphasised real-time monitoring through mobile applications, geo-tagging, and satellite-based data.

“The plantation drives will not only support environmental restoration but also generate livelihood opportunities for hundreds of families across the district,” the Collector said, highlighting the importance of sapling maintenance and regular field inspections by forest and rural development officials.

Encouraging environmental stewardship among youth, Mr. Sumit Kumar urged students to take up tree planting from a young age. He said top priority should be given to implementing Tree Outside Forest (TOF) and Agroforestry policies to enhance green cover with fruit-bearing and multipurpose tree species, ensuring farmer participation beyond reserve forest areas.