GUNTUR: In what could be an interesting appeal, state forest forces chief Md Ilyas Rizvi has called upon the people to grow precious plants like red sanders, sandal wood and teak in the barren and waste lands to reap rich in the future.Scotching the apprehensions about growing red sanders in private land, Rizvi said that absolutely there is no ban on cultivation of any kind of wood. In an exclusive interview with TOI, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Rizvi said that forest department is ready to supply any plant if people came forward to grow them in their backyard. “People are required to take permission to sell the red-sander or sandal wood grown in private land which we will give if they produce proper documents of cultivation. It is no big issue,” he promised. He said that there is no need for anyone to seek permission for growing the plants including red sanders.Rizvi said that people would always prefer gifting gold and land to their children and grandchildren thinking that such things would help their kin in need in future and make them economically stable. “What they actually do not know is that their investment in such things did not make their kin really rich because of the inflation. A gift of one acre of red sander will make their kin a true billionaire,” said Rizvi. He said that it would take at least 25 years for the red sander plant to get ready for the sale in the market and at least 100 plants could be grown in an acre of land. “A crop in one acre will be easily worth Rs.50-Rs.100 crore after 25 years depending on its quality,” he claimed. He had also said that it would be fully legal and no bar on growing such plants.He said that there were apprehensions about growing red sanders due to their constant efforts to rein in the red sander smugglers in Seshachalam forests of Kadapa , Chittoor and Nellore districts. He said that they have constituted special taskforce and making relentless efforts to protect the plants because it is in the reserve forest area which the property of the government.Rizvi said that they would be planting at least 25 crore saplings in the next one year in the state. He said that they were working towards achieving the target set by the chief minister to make at least 50 percent of the geographical area of AP with green cover. “AP has about 23 percent of green cover and trying to make it 50 percent by 2029,” said Rizvi. He said that AP had already achieved tremendous results in improving its greens in the last four years. He said that at least 20 percent of the barren and waste land in AP is fit to grow forest plants. “Leaving bunds in the agriculture fields empty is also a bad practice. Farmers should grow teak plants and make the fields profitable,” he suggestedHe said that middle class people who purchase house-plots too should think of growing some plants in the vacant land till they go for construction of house as it helps them making little monies without much investment. “Massive extent of land in real-estate ventures in the state has been kept barren. It is really bad practice,” said Rizvi.

Stay updated with all the Latest Vijayawada headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.