Pawan Kalyan directs officials to speed up Great Green Wall project in Andhra Pradesh
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Environment and Forests K. Pawan Kalyan on Monday directed officials to expedite works under the Great Green Wall of
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Environment and Forests K. Pawan Kalyan on Monday directed officials to expedite works under the Great Green Wall of Andhra Pradesh project aimed at protecting mangroves and preventing coastal erosion, while noting that the initiative had earned national recognition. Reviewing the progress of the project, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said the Great Green Wall, envisaged as a five-kilometre-wide natural barrier along the coastline, would play a key role in protecting coastal areas from extreme weather events.
He said an action plan had been prepared to expand the green wall over 8,888 hectares during the current year. He said sapling plantation had been completed in areas where weather conditions were favourable. The government has set a target of raising palm plantations over nearly 5,000 hectares this year. Mangroves were raised over about 740 hectares in 2024-25 and 1,930 hectares in 2025-26, helping Andhra Pradesh secure the second position in the country in developing mangrove-based natural coastal barriers.
Pawan Kalyan said conditions for mangrove plantation would become favourable from October. A mangrove restoration programme covering 305 hectares under the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes. Phase II, is scheduled to be taken up during November and December. He said compensatory afforestation had been taken up over 48 hectares this year and was nearing completion. Native species would be planted over 1,993 hectares with financial assistance from the Green Climate Fund, while shelter belt plantations would be taken up over 727 hectares.
As many as seven million saplings are being planted along the coast under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission. Grameen. The Deputy Chief Minister said timber and other indigenous species would be raised over 3,243 hectares in the Rajamahendravaram circle, 1,832 hectares in the Guntur circle, and 1,764 hectares in the Visakhapatnam circle.
The BriefWire