Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan on Friday laid the foundation stone for the development of 'Aranyaramam', a state-of-the-art research, training, and monitoring centre of the Andhra Pradesh forest department. The facility is located near AIIMS at Brahmanandapuram in Mangalagiri.
Pawan Kalyan, accompanied by Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar and Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, performed the bhoomi puja for the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 24 crore.
Command Centre for Green Initiatives
Officials stated that the facility will act as a common facility centre to coordinate research, training, and environmental conservation activities undertaken by the forest and environment departments across the state. Aranyaramam will serve as the command centre for HANUMAN activities and function as the monitoring hub for the Andhra Pradesh Great Green Wall programme.
The centre will also coordinate initiatives related to tiger conservation, prevention of forest fires, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, eco-tourism development, and digital environmental governance. It is expected to support scientific research and enable real-time monitoring of field-level implementation of various forest and environmental programmes through advanced technology-based systems.
Wildlife Rescue Operations
On the occasion, Pawan Kalyan inspected the proposed building model and reviewed exhibits showcasing wildlife rescue operations carried out by the forest department under the HANUMAN Foundation, an initiative aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. Officials informed him that the department had conducted 185 wildlife rescue operations in 2024 and successfully completed 36 human-wildlife conflict mitigation interventions.
Pawan Kalyan appreciated the efforts of forest personnel and commended their commitment to wildlife conservation and public safety.
Dignitaries Present
Principal Secretary (Forests and Environment) Kantilal Dande, Forest Department Advisor Mallikarjuna Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests P.V. Chalapathi Rao, Guntur District Collector S. Sai Kanth Varma, SP Vakul Jindal, and other officials were present at the event.
