Hyderabad, Feb 17 : Popular Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna and his family on Thursday adopted 1,080 acres of forest land on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Nagarjuna along with his family members and Rajya Sabha member J. Santosh Kumar laid foundation stone for Akkineni Nageswara Rao Urban Forest Park.
The Park will come up in Chengicherla forest area on the outskirts of Hyderabad in memory of Nagarjuna’s father and well-known actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao.
Nagarjuna’s gesture came on the birthday of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Inspired by the Green India Challenge of Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar, the actor kept his word to adopt the urban forest.
He had declared recently that he will adopt the forest land on KCR’s birthday.
Nagarjuna laid the foundation stone along with his wife Amala, sons Naga Chaitanya and Nikhil and other family members.
For the development of forest region, they have donated Rs 2 crore to the Haritha Nidhi or Green Fund announced by the Chief Minister.
Nagarjuna said Santosh Kumar launched Green India Challenge programme “to make the environment in the state and the country greener and eco-friendly”.
Nagarjuna said he participated in the programme and planted several saplings.
He said in the last Big Boss season final programme, he discussed the adoption of forestland issue with Santosh Kumar and declared on the dais that he would adopt forestland. He said he felt happy that he had laid the foundation stone for the Urban Forest Park as announced by him in the programme. This forest area park would immensely help the people living in the colonies.
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 Nageswara Rao, in the vacant areas, one-lakh saplings will be planted. This programme also began on Thursday.
The MP said no other city has the advantage which Hyderabad has. The city has 1.50 lakh acres of forest land around it. This would be protected, preserved and developed as part of the Green India Challenge programme. The MP said businessmen, entrepreneurs and organisations are welcome to take up this social responsibility.
In this programme, ministers, Special Chief Secretary (Forests) Shanta Kumari, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R Shobha, PCCF (SF)A R M Dobrial, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Sri Mahesh Bhagwat, Hyderabad Chief Conservator MJ Akbar, Medchel Forest Officer Venkateswarlu, GIC Co Founder Raghava and others participated.
Chengicherla Forest Block is in Uppal-Medipally area on Hyderabad Warangal highway consisting of 1,682 acres of forestland. Nagarjuna took 1,000 acres on adoption. An Urban park will be developed in part of the land and in the rest; 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.
Santosh Kumar himself had taken on the adoption of 2042 acres in Keesara and developing an eco-park. Actor Prabhas took 1,650 acres in the Khajipally forest area and Pharma giant Hetero has adopted 2,543 acres in the Mambapur forest area on Narsapur road and are developing as eco-friendly areas.(IANS)