HYDERABAD: Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari has mandated a deadline of July-end to achieve a plastic-free Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana.
In a strategic meeting with officials from the Forests and Panchayat Raj departments, along with the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, the chief secretary outlined comprehensive measures to enforce this initiative. Santhi Kumari emphasised the necessity of strict enforcement of the plastic ban, targeting plastic bags and bottles. She instructed officials to establish additional check posts for the removal of banned plastic items and to promote eco-friendly alternatives such as paper bags, cloth, jute bags, and leaf plates.
The plan includes extensive awareness campaigns across print and electronic media, as well as the installation of informative signboards at panchayat, district, and state levels. The chief secretary highlighted the importance of educating local vendors along highways about the plastic ban within the tiger reserve.
Further, Santhi Kumari urged officials to expedite the relocation of residents from four habitations within the reserve, in accordance with the established timeline. She advocated for the utilisation of funds from the Haritha Nidhi scheme within the current fiscal year to support this initiative. Additionally, she directed officials from the Endowments department to eliminate plastic usage at the Maisamma temple in Mahbubnagar district.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Forest Department Principal Secretary Vani Prasad, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Principal Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania, PCCF RM Dobriyal, TSPCB Member-Secretary Buddha Prakash Jyothi, and Endowments Commissioner Hanumantha Rao. This decisive action underscores Telangana’s commitment to environmental sustainability and wildlife conservation, setting a precedent for other regions to follow. The move aims not only to protect the Amrabad Tiger Reserve’s biodiversity but also to enhance the ecological balance within the region.
