In a significant push towards environmental sustainability and urban beautification, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has launched a comprehensive greening drive across the city. The initiative aims to tackle rising pollution levels while transforming the visual landscape of major thoroughfares and junctions.
Major Roads Get a Green Makeover
The civic body has taken a concrete first step by planting nearly 550 bougainvillea saplings along the central median stretching from the busy Benz Circle to the Police Control Room. This move has already begun to enhance the aesthetic appeal of this key corridor. VMC Commissioner H M Dhyanachandra emphasized that developing greenery and implementing pollution reduction measures are top priorities for the corporation.
Multi-Location Greening Strategy
The project is not limited to one area. The VMC is actively working on enhancing green cover at several prominent locations throughout Vijayawada. The commissioner listed the ongoing efforts at:
- Alluri Sitarama Raju Park in Ayodhya Nagar
- The disabled hostel park in LBS Nagar
- Chittooru Visweshwarayya Park in Hanumanpet
- Veterinary Colony Park
- The central median near the police outpost on Ramavarappadu–Eluru Road
- Nelson Mandela Park near Ramesh Hospital
- Sitara–Gollapudi junction, Swathi Road, Nandamuri Nagar, Kandrika, Nunna, and the Chittinagar divider.
Long-Term Vision and Plant Care
Commissioner Dhyanachandra revealed that the corporation is preparing extensive plans to promote avenue plantation on a large scale across Vijayawada. He stressed that tree plantation is a fundamental objective for ensuring a pleasant and healthy environment for all citizens. The initiative goes beyond just planting saplings. The VMC is committed to protecting the new greenery through regular watering and the application of manure prepared in-house.
In a phased manner, the civic body will also remove damaged plants from various parts of the city, increase overall green cover, and work systematically to develop Vijayawada into a more beautiful and healthier urban space. This renewed drive comes after the corporation had earlier set an ambitious target to plant 10,000 saplings as part of an avenue plantation drive by 2025, a goal where visible progress had been limited. The horticulture department has so far planted around 3,000 saplings, and officials have assured that more plantings are scheduled in the coming days to meet the target.
