Drive to boost green cover in Fani-hit cities of Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Sunday launched a free sapling distribution drive to revive the green cover in the State Capital, Cuttack and Puri  which were ravaged in Cyclone Fani on May 3.

On the day, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi flagged off seedling distribution vehicles at Biju Patnaik Park here. A total of 25 vehicles, 15 in Bhubaneswar and five each in Cuttack and Puri, will move in and around these three cities to distribute saplings to households free of cost.

These vehicles will cover all Wards in the three urban local bodies and also move to nearby villages to encourage people to plant saplings.

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At least five lakh saplings will be distributed during the drive which will continue till August 21, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force Sandeep Tripathi.

Each households can take five to 10 saplings depending on the availability of land and their ability to nurture the plants, he said.

Forest officials said HDFC bank has sponsored the sapling distribution drive as part of its CSR activity.

This year, the Forest and Environment department will distribute four crore saplings to various institutions, organisations and the public to increase the green cover of the State. The PCCF said special emphasis is being laid on sapling plantation in all the 14 districts affected by the cyclone.

Moreover, the government has launched ‘Post Fani Coastal Shelter Belt and Afforestation Mission’ to revive green cover lost in Fani. Eighty lakh saplings will be planted under this mission in Fani affected areas.

Tripathi said during Van Mahotsav week from July 1 to July 7, the Forest and Environment department had distributed around 50 lakh saplings to people free of cost for plantation in Fani hit areas.