
Every nursery in state will be made functional: Telangana minister Surekha
HYDERABAD: Environment & Forests Minister Konda Surekha on Wednesday instructed officials to plant fruit-bearing and medicinal plants along the road margins under Vanamahotsavam programme. She also directed them to plant flower plants on government lands, office premises, schools and along the road margins.
The minister unveiled the poster of 'Vanamahotsavam 2025' at her Jubilee Hills residence.
Speaking on the occasion, she said that the government will distribute flower and fruit bearing saplings to households to promote greenery.
The minister emphasised that detailed planning is crucial at every level —from district to village level, and that Vanamahotsavam should be made a participatory and result-oriented initiative.
The plantation drives will be conducted intensively during the peak monsoon months of June, July and August, she added.
'Every nursery at the village level will be made functional to raise and distribute saplings locally, strengthening the sense of ownership among communities,' she said while instructing the officials to launch a massive public campaign on Vanamahotsavam programme.
'In 2024, the state aimed to plant 20.02 crore saplings and achieved 95 per cent of that target by planting 19.04 crore saplings. This year, officials are tasked with achieving 100 per cent target,' she added.
Minister receives 109 applications at 'Meet Your Minister' prog
Environment & Forests Minister Konda Surekha on Tuesday attended the 'Meet Your Minister' programme at Gandhi Bhavan and received over 100 applications from the public.
The minister, who also holds the Endowments portfolio, instructed the officials belonging to departments that come under her to address the grievances of people.
She also asked the officials of other departments, including housing and revenue to look into the issues of people and resolve them at the earliest.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- New Indian Express
PD Act will be invoked against encroachers, warns Surekha
HYDERABAD: Endowments Minister Konda Surekha on Thursday warned that the Preventive Detention Act (PD Act) will be invoked against those who encroach upon land belonging to temples and the Endowments department. The minister, on the request of local leaders, inspected the allegedly encroached lands in Chengicherla in Medchal-Malkajgiri district. Later speaking to reporters, the minister said that a total of 30.23 acres in three survey numbers in Chengicherla belonging to the Endowments department and a few individuals have been occupied since 2022. 'After conducting a survey, the authorities confirmed that this land belongs to the Endowments department. We have ordered an inquiry. After receiving the survey report, the government will take appropriate action,' she said while instructing the officials to erect a fence around the land to protect it. The officials informed her that out of a total of 91,827 acres of land belonging to the Endowments department, close to 6,000 acres of land is under encroachment. Later in the day, the Endowments minister made a surprise visit to the Balkampet Yellamma temple to inspect the arrangements being made for the upcoming annual kalyana mahotsavam of Goddess Yellamma.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Maritime incidents: Kerala HC asks state to proceed against shipping firms
KOCHI: Expressing concern over repeated maritime incidents off the state's coast, Kerala High Court has directed the state government to proceed against the shipping companies, including by taking actions such as seizing sister vessels. This (the incidents) is costing the public exchequer, said a division bench headed by Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar. 'If these instances keep happening, the burden will be on the state exchequer. It is best to proceed against the companies, and the state can also arrest sister vessels. Slow or no action should not become a precedent... there has to be prompt action. If there is a bigger incident in the future, this action will set a precedent,' it said. '...the state should not leave any stone unturned as far as offenders are concerned.' The bench said the Union and state governments should take all possible action under law. Under the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017, a collector can file a suit to enforce a maritime lien on a vessel. This lien arises from dues owed to the port, such as charges for using port facilities or damage caused by the vessel to port property. The cost to the public exchequer should be recovered from the persons responsible, the bench added. It sought to know whether the incidents would require the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to step in. Advocate General (AG) Gopalakrishna Kurup informed the court that police have registered an FIR and started an investigation. The AG added that no court can take cognizance of any offence under the Environment (Protection) Act except on a complaint made by the central government or any authorised officer. The court replied that it's for the central and state governments to take action. It also said it will appoint an amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter. The loss of fish resources from pollution and the resulting economic loss must be considered, the bench added.


The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Kerala shipwreck: Centre gives 48-hour ultimatum to ship owner MSC to extract oil from sunken vessel
The Director General of Shipping has issued an ultimatum to the owner of MSC Elsa 3, the ship that sank off the coast of Kerala on May 24, demanding the extraction of oil from the sunken ship in 48 hours. In the letter addressed to MSC Ship Management Limited, Cyprus, Shyam Jagannatan, Director General of Shipping (DGS), said 'the consistent inaction and delay by the owners and salvors (T&T salvage) appointed by the company represent not only negligence but also a violation of statutory obligations.' If the extraction of oil not commence within the next 48 hours, the Central government shall be left with no alternative but examine all avenues against the ship owners and salvors for the continuing threat posed to Indian waters and the coastal environment, the letter said. This include attracting prosecution and penalties under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958; Environment (Protection) Act 1986; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Disaster Management Act, 2005, and any other applicable provisions under Indian maritime safety, environmental protection, and disaster management laws, the letter said. Any further delay beyond the specified period will be treated as willful and deliberate noncompliance, and the government will proceed to exercise its full legal rights and remedies without any further reference, it noted. Despite repeated instructions and meetings, the response from the salvors has been consistently delayed and insufficient. The lack of prompt action has resulted in a continued and serious risk to the marine environment and coastline of India, particularly affecting the coastal regions of Kerala. The region's local communities, which heavily rely on fishing for their livelihoods, have already suffered extensive loss of work and income due to the prolonged presence of the sunken vessel, floating debris, oil sheen, and ongoing pollution risks, it said. The salvors were initially clearly advised to mobilise necessary assets for diving and oil recovery operations. Despite this, the diving support vessel (DSV) and necessary diving assets were not mobilised until after May 30, affecting the entire timeline for the operation. Even the tug assets hired by the owners arrived on scene only after June 1, with no prior deployment initiated by the salvors. Furthermore, while it was very clear considering the depth of the water (51 meters) that saturation diving was required for the extraction of oil from the vessel, the salvors have to date been able to conduct only limited air diving operations, which are inadequate for the extraction of oil from the tanks of the sunken vessel. Capping of vents, which was scheduled for completion earlier this month, is still being conducted at present. The extraction of oil, originally scheduled to commence around June 5, has not even begun as of this date. The salvage operation was provided a short weather window considering the monsoon conditions over the Arabian Sea, and that window has now largely been lost as a direct consequence of the salvors' failure to timely deploy assets and personnel, the DGS said.