Khandre says

Minister of Forest, Zoology and Environment Eshwar Khandre (left) spoke to the media on Saturday at the Aiwan-e-Shahi Hotel in Kalaburagi, accompanied by Sharan Prakash Patil and Ajay Singh. |Photo source: Arun Kulkarni

Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said, please note that in several areas of Kalyana Karnataka, the state government will launch a large-scale tree planting program on June 1.

Mr Khandre, who spoke to the media at the Aiwan-E-Shahi hotel in Kalaburagi, stressed that the forest coverage rates in areas such as Kalaburagi (5%), Ballari (7%), Yadgir and Raichur (each) were shocking.

“As a first step towards economic restoration, we have planned to plant one lakh saplings along roadsides in these four districts starting June 1. To ensure the maintenance of these saplings, each one will be geo-tagged and documented. High-quality saplings that are well-suited to our soil will be sourced from Rajahmundry in the neighboring State of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

“Information such as the growth of each planted sapling in a specific year and its current condition will be recorded on the department’s website. The government has developed a long-term plan to increase forest coverage in the Kalyana Karnataka area by 10-20% over the next 10-15 years,” he said.

Throughout the Green Initiative, Mr Candray said that the Congressional government has planted about 850 million seedlings since it came to power in the state.

“Officials claim that about 80% of these saplings survive and grow. However, after independent third-party review, it was found that about 70% of the saplings actually survived,” he said.

“It would be very beneficial if the board could allocate Rs 100 crore to increase the green coverage in Kalyana Karnataka area,” he said.

Madbol Zoo

Mr Khandre, who provided the latest news on the upcoming zoo in Madbol, Kalaburagi district, said the zoo developed on 40 acres will be inaugurated at Rs 6 billion by the end of December 2025.

He added: “Once completed, the facility will accommodate a variety of animals, including tigers, lions and leopards, providing visitors with an important wildlife experience. The staff at the zoo are training at the established animal centers in Mysuru and Bannerghatta.”