February 13 2016, 21.02 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Hyderabad, 13th Feb, 2016: In a glittering function held at Public Gardens Government of Telangana gave away the 2nd Garden Festival - 2016 horticulture awards for the second consecutive year and for the 22nd year since it’s inception by the erstwhile AP Govt. Pragati Group bagged the overall performance Trophy other than 11 awards under various categories. Pragati bagged 1st prize in the categories of a. theme Parks – Stone wood Garden; b. Theme Parks – Navagraha Vanam; c. Resorts – Landscape area above 25 acres; d. Play Fields – Sunken Garden; e. Theme parks – Vertical Garden; f. Landscape Area below 100 Sq. Mtrs; g. Farm Houses – General. Pragati secured 2nd prize in theme Parks – Aromatic & Medicinal Plants; Farm Houses and special prize in Landscape in Road Medians. In addition to this rich haul the Gajwel Herbal Park, executed by Pragati Horticulture Wing was also awarded with the 1st Prize. Pragati has come up with one of its kind unique Herbal medicinal Garden at Gajwel with a wide variety of Indian sacred heritage medicinal flora.
The awards were presented by Mr. Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture & Cooperation. Speaking on this occasion Mr. Pocharam underlined the need for awakening conscious of the people towards the need for development of greenery especially in the Urban areas. He also appealed to various NGOs, Corporate houses to extend support for Government’s Green Mission ‘Telanganaku Haritha Haaram”. He further stated that” these days everybody is facing BP, Sugar and cholesterol problems. In order to avoid these we need to have pure air, water and organic food. Then there will not be any need for us to go to a doctor. Everywhere concrete jungles are increasing and oxygen content is depleting. To reverse this situation government of Telanagana is planning to plant 230 crore plants in the next three years.
Mr. C. Prathasarathi, Principal Secretary – Agriculture & Cooperation emphasizing the need for creation of lung space across the city by development of gardens. He also said the cities have to be planned with a vision. speling out the Government priorities for uplifting the standards and techniques of Agriculture for getting better yield. Earlier Mr. L. Venkatram Reddy, Commissioner of Horticulture welcoming the gathering appealed on behalf of horticulture department to the people to go in for the development of terrace gardens, kitchen gardens.
Dr. G.B.K. Rao, Chairman & Managing Director of Pragati Group stressed on the imperatives of going on a race for plantation. He stressed upon the rich heritage culture of India and for upholding the Indian vedic way of living. He drew the attention of the audience on the conservation of Sacred Indian herbal heritage medicinal plants, which are considered as Praana Pradaataas and Arogya Pradaataas, for leading a holistic life.
Pragati has been bagging a series of awards for 8 consecutive years. Pragati has been making relentless efforts for the last 21 years for conservation of Biodiversity at not only in and around its Biodiversity knowledge park located in Shankarpalli Mandal of Ranga Reddy District but also sensitizing the people globally on the need and importance of bio conservation.
The Pragati Biodiversity Park once a no go area has been transformed into a lush green nature’s paradise with 27 million plantation and 780 varieties of herbal medicinal plantations that has enabled to make the area a ‘0’ pollution, mosquito free environment devoid of bad bacteria and other viruses. Pragati’s efforts have been acknowledged by the Government of India and the two state governments of Telangana and A.P. besides United Nations.
The crowning glory of the group has been United Nation’s recommendation to replicate Pragati’s rich experience as declared by the present and former executive secretaries at UN convention on Biological Diversity, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias (UN Executive Secretary, Convention of Bio-diversity) and Ahmed Djoghlaf (Former) at the 11th Conference on biodiversity held in Hyderabad urging the gathering of 650 mayors from 195 countries to do so. Dr. G B K Rao, CMD, Pragati group was invited to shared his rich experiences at the six sessions of this UN convention.
