Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday requested President Pranab Mukherjee to launch public welfare programme 'Telanganaku Haritha Haram' at Yadagirigutta in Nalgonda district on July 3.

In a letter addressed to the President, Rao made the request inviting him, mentioning that it would add more significance to the tree plantation programme and will enthuse all sections of the society to actively participate in it.

Rao, through the letter, informed the President that the state government has taken up the massive programme, christened as 'Telanganaku Haritha Haram', with an aim of improving green cover, maintain ecological balance and to ensure sustainable livelihoods.

As a part of the programme, it is proposed to plant 230 crore saplings over a period of three years, both within the reserve forest to improve forest density and outside forest to promote greenery and improve incomes for the farmers, the chief minister said. Rao further said community participation in the programme as a green movement is the highlight of this approach.

"For the current year, 39.60 crore saplings have been raised, which are ready for planting starting first week of July this year," Rao said.

Telangana government's flagship programme, 'Haritha Haram', is a massive afforestation drive featuring planting of crores of saplings to increase the green cover of the state.