BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao on Friday, 5 June 2026 — World Environment Day — used the occasion to spotlight Telangana's environmental record under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, citing plantation figures, forest-cover growth, and international recognitions earned during the BRS government's tenure from 2014 to 2023.

Context

Posting on the occasion of World Environment Day, KTR recalled what he described as a 'remarkable green transformation' in Telangana under KCR's leadership. He pointed to Haritha Haaram — the state's flagship afforestation programme launched on 3 July 2015 — as the centrepiece of that effort, claiming the BRS government planted 'more than 290 crore saplings across Telangana' through the initiative.

Beyond plantation numbers, KTR cited a range of green-space projects including Urban Forest Parks, Theme Parks, Palle Prakruthi Vanalu, and Pattana Prakruthi Vanalu as complementary interventions that combined rural and urban forestry under a single governance framework.

Policy Backdrop

According to KTR's post, forest cover in Telangana grew from 19,854 sq km in 2015 to 21,214 sq km in 2021 — a 6.85% increase — while overall greenery rose by 7.7% over the same period. He contrasted this with the national figure, stating that India's overall green cover grew by just 0.22% (1,540 sq km) during a comparable period, while Telangana alone contributed 3.07% (632 sq km).

KTR also highlighted what he called a '10% Green Budget' policy introduced by the KCR government, which mandated that 10% of local body funds be earmarked for greening efforts. Policy records indicate this mandate was incorporated into Telangana's budget framework from 2016 onwards, making it one of the few sub-national governments in India to institutionalise a dedicated green allocation at the local-body level.

Stakeholders and Impact

Hyderabad, the state capital, was singled out by KTR as a 'global model for urban greening,' earning the World Green City Award and Tree City of the World status. These recognitions reflect a broader international acknowledgment of city-level green infrastructure, though the precise timing of the awards has not been independently confirmed from public records.

The beneficiaries of Telangana's greening drive span urban local bodies, rural panchayats, and the state's general population. Large-scale plantation programmes of this kind typically generate co-benefits including improved air quality, urban heat-island mitigation, and enhanced biodiversity corridors — outcomes relevant to Telangana's 3.5 crore-plus residents.

What's Next

The BRS, now in opposition after losing the 2023 Telangana assembly elections, has consistently used policy milestones to draw contrast with the current Congress-led state government. KTR's Environment Day post continues that pattern, implicitly raising the question of whether the 10% Green Budget mandate and Haritha Haaram's institutional infrastructure have been maintained or modified under the new administration.

The next Forest Survey of India report will provide updated cover figures that either validate or complicate the trajectory KTR has outlined. Any state budget documents from the current government indicating changes to the green-budget rule will be closely watched by environmental advocates and opposition alike.