New Delhi: Former India batting maestros Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and badminton champion Saina Nehwal accepted Telangana’s Industry and Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao’s ‘Green Challenge’ to plant saplings. The challenge is part of Telangana government’s ‘Haritha Haram’ initiative, the state’s massive plantation drive and was started recently on social media with a motive to create a green ripple across India by asking people to plant saplings.
Accepting the challenge on Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar said,
Thank you, @KTRTRS, for nominating me for the green challenge #HarithaHaram. I accept the challenge and hope all of you do too. The key to a greener planet is in our hands.
Thank you, @KTRTRS, for nominating me for the green challenge #HarithaHaram. I accept the challenge and hope all of you do too. The key to a greener planet is in our hands. pic.twitter.com/vMzifaGjlm
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 28, 2018
On the other hand, accepting the green challenge and further nominating Virender Sehwag, Mithali Raj and PV Sindhu to join in on the drive, VVS Laxman said,
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Great initiative @KTRTRS, I have planted pomegranate, water apple & Laxman Phal saplings. I nominate @virendersehwag, @M_Raj03 & @Pvsindhu1A to plant 3 trees, nurture them and make #HarithaHaram a sustainable movement.
The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Great initiative @KTRTRS ,I have planted pomegranate, water apple & Laxman Phal saplings . I nominate @virendersehwag , @M_Raj03 & @Pvsindhu1 to plant 3 trees, nurture them and make #HarithaHaram a sustainable movement pic.twitter.com/6mSRNqPBwk
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 28, 2018
While Saina Nehwal asked Bollywood celebrities to join in the Green Challenge. Nominating Taapsee Pannu, Esha Gupta, and Shraddha Kapoor, she said,
Let’s all together make our world greener and clean. Here’s my contribution and I further nominate @taapsee ,@ShraddhaKapoor and @eshagupta2811 to take up the green challenge. #HarithaHaram
Thank you ma’am @RaoKavitha .. for nominating me . Let’s all together make our world greener and clean. Here’s my contribution and I further nominate @taapsee ,@ShraddhaKapoor and @eshagupta2811 to take up the green challenge. #HarithaHaram pic.twitter.com/mT7xyDh8FF
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) July 21, 2018
Also Read: Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao Shares How The State Aims To Go Green In The Future
Haritha Hāram, a statewide tree plantation programme, was launched back in 2015 to increase Telangana’s green cover from 24 per cent to 33 per cent. Till today, around 81 crore saplings have been planted across the state and the target is to plant 230 crores saplings in four years.
From August 1, the fourth phase of Haritha Haram campaign will begin and this time the government is looking to go beyond traditional tree plantation and make the programme more inclusive. For the same, the districts have been asked to hold activities like essay writing and elocution among students so that they understand the importance of green cover from a young age and grow up to become environmentally responsible citizens.
Also Read: Tree Plantation Drive: Fourth Phase Of Telangana’s ‘Haritha Haaram’ Programme To Cover More Villages
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
