Telangana forest minister Indrakaran Reddy on Friday said that the state government was developing lung spaces in cities and towns by setting up urban forest parks and eco-tourism parks in available forest land.
Speaking after inaugurating the urban forest parks – Anjaneya and Narasimha – at Raigiri near Yadagirigutta, the minister said the ecological balance of a place would depend on the extent of forest area and green cover.
Hence, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken up afforestation to improve forest coverage area. No other state has taken up sapling planting in such a big way in the country, minister Reddy said.
The state government has already identified forest land located near cities and towns and plan to develop urban parks in some of them, he added.
Narasimha and Anjaneya Aranyams were developed in Raigiri reserve forest area to create a pleasant atmosphere near Yadadri hill shrine, which was being developed on par with Tirumala by the state government, Telangana Today has reported.
Narasimha Aranyam was developed in 97.12 hectares in Rayagiri-II reserve forest bloc by spending Rs 3.16 crores while Anjaneya Aranyam was developed in 56.65 hectares in Raigiri- I reserve forest bloc with a budget of Rs 2.83 crores.
The water fall in Anjaneya Aranyam has been named as Yada Sri water fall, the minister added.
