On the occasion of the birthday of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday, actor Nagarjuna announced that he is adopting 1,000 acres of forest land. The actor came forward to set up an urban park at the Chengicherla Forest area on the outskirts of Hyderabad in his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao's name. At the foundation laying ceremony, along with MP J Santosh Kumar, Nagarjuna participated along with his family members. Akkineni Nagarjuna, Amala, sons Naga Chaitanya and Nikhil and other family members attended. For the development of the forest region, they have donated Rs 2 Crore cheque to the 'Haritha Nidhi' as conceived by the Chief Minister.
Nagarjuna said "MP Santosh Kumar had launched 'Green India Challenge programme' to change the environment in our state and country to clean our environment. I have participated in the programme and planted several saplings. In the last Big Boss season final programme, I discussed the adoption of forestland issue with Santosh Kumar and declared on the dais that he would adopt forestland."
This forest area park would immensely help the people living in the colonies, added the actor. MP Santosh Kumar appreciated Nagarjuna for coming forward to take part in the Green India Challenge programme. The MP announced that along with the setting up of Urban Park in the name of A Nageswara Rao, in the vacant areas one-lakh saplings will be planted and that programme will also begin from Thursday.
Kumar said that no other city had the advantage Hyderabad has towards nature's availability and 1.50 Crore acres of forest land around Hyderabad would be protected, preserved and developed as part of the Green India Challenge programme. "Businessmen, entrepreneurs and organisations who will take up this social responsibility are welcome," he added.
In this programme, Ministers, Special Chief Secretary (Forests) Shanta Kumari, PCCF R Shobha, PCCF (SF) RM Dobrial, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat, Hyderabad Chief Conservator MJ Akbar, Medchel Forest Officer Venkateswarlu, GIC Co-Founder Sri Raghava, Hero Nagarjuna, other family members Supriya Yarlagadda, Sumanth, Sushant, Naga Suseela, Laxmi Sahitya, Saroja, Venkata Narayana Rao, Jyotsna, Anupama, Aditya, Sangeeta, Sagarika and others participated.
Chengicherla Forest Block is in the Uppal-Medipally area on Hyderabad Warangal highway and among the urbanization, there is 1682 acres of forestland. Nagarjuna took 1000 acres on adoption. An Urban park will be developed in part of the land and in the rest; the revival of the forest areas will be taken up.
Officials said that this park would be useful for those residing in Medipally to Chengicherla, Cherlapally, and ECIL areas. Under the leadership of Santosh Kumar and inspiration from the Green India Challenge, three forest blocks were taken on adoption and Nagarjuna took the fourth block. In the three areas, setting of an urban park, reviving the forest area works are going on.
MP Santosh Kumar himself had taken on the adoption of 2042 acres in Keesara and of developing an eco-park. Actor Prabhas took 1,650 acres in the Khajipally forest area and Pharma giant hetero Drugs has taken 2,543 acres in the Mambapur forest area on Narsapur road and are developing as eco-friendly areas.
