AP-Green Chief calls for planting culture to protect nature

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Green Executive Committee Chairman Konidela Nagababu has called upon people to make environmental protection a collective responsibility by planting and nurturing trees, saying the State must move towards a planting culture rather than the indiscriminate felling of trees. Participating with his wife Padmaja in a traditional Ashwatha Narayana Vivaham at Aranyaramam in Mangalagiri, Nagababu performed special rituals and planted peepal and neem saplings.

He described the tradition as a unique blend of spirituality and environmental conservation, with the peepal and neem symbolizing Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Taking a political swipe at the previous government, he alleged that its approach was marked by cutting rather than planting trees. In contrast, he said, the coalition government was committed to creating a culture of planting and protecting trees.

Nagababu said his environmental vision was shared by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, with all three committed to creating a healthier environment for future generations. He stressed that India, with its rich cultural traditions, should become a global model for environmental conservation. He also reviewed the designs for the proposed Aranyaramam facility, being constructed at a cost of Rs 24 crore for forest and environmental research and training. Officials said 73 trees that had to be relocated for construction were transplanted rather than felled, and Nagababu inspected the successfully relocated trees.