Thanks to the joint efforts by the forest department, HMDA, and state government’s Haritha Haram program, the 163-km stretch between Hyderabad and Vijayawada is now lined with fully grown trees. There was a time when one would come across a barren landscape as one drove from Hyderabad to Vijayawada. However, driving on National Highway 65 is no longer the same. Rows of green trees dot the entire stretch, and the view has completely changed thanks to the massive efforts of the Telangana government. The effort is part of the state government’s state-wide afforestation program Haritha Haram.

During the second phase of Haritha Haram, chief minister KCR launched a multiple-row avenue plantation drive along the highway in 2016. About 163km of Highway 65 passes through Telangana. Of this, the forest department took up plantation drive along a stretch of 132km, falling between Panthangi toll plaza and Nallabandagudem of Suryapet district located near the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana border.

The rest of the stretch, i.e., the remaining 31km between Ramoji Film City and Panthangi toll plaza, the plantation drive was taken up by HMDA. About one lakh saplings of 30 different species of trees were planted along the stretch.

However, apart from the services of the forest department and HMDA, the respective district forest officers too were made responsible for taking care of the saplings to protect them from various factors such as cattle, water shortage, and people crossing roads recklessly.

After the success of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada route, the government and forest department are hoping to replicate the same model between Hyderabad, Adilabad, and Hyderabad, Bengaluru highways. The next target is to plant 1.5 lakh saplings on Hyderabad-Adilabad NH-44.