It was about one kilometre from Nanded-Akola Highway that passed through Sangareddy town. Also, it was government land full of bushes about a year ago, besides being used as a dump yard.
But now, with the active intervention by officials and public representatives, the stretch has turned forest-like within one year as a Palle Prakruthi Vanam (PPV) was established.
The vanam has about 116 varieties of plants. Some plants have to grown to more than six feet.
“Land was cleared of garbage, and pits were dug for planting 4,000 saplings using man power under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). At one point of time, it became a difficult task to maintain the PPV as water was not available. We had to use tankers to water the plants in order to sustain their growth. The PPV will be spread to 10 acres in the near future with more focus on Ayurvedic saplings, informed Akula Ravinder, Mandal Parishad Development Officer (Block Development Officer) to The Hindu
Sarpanch Sajeeda Begum, vice sarpanch Hashim Ali and Panchayat Officer Mahender played a key role in developing the PPV,” said “Mr. Ravinder, adding that recently they have organised a programme for sarpanches to show them how a PPV can be developed with the active involvement of public representatives and officials.
“We have developed as many as 743 PPVs in the district on about 416 acres. As many as 9,80,572 sapling were planted in these PPVs and proper water supply is maintained,” said Ch Srinivas Rao, District Rural Development Officer.
