‘ICZMP mangrove plantation at Rajnagar had 36 per cent survival rate’: CAG

BHUBANESWAR: A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on mangrove plantation pointed out that the drive taken up at one of the sites in Rajnagar division ‘failed’ as the percentage of plant survivability remained as low as 36 per cent.

The CAG in its report for the year ending March 2020 released recently stated that mangrove plantation was taken up at Santubi area of Mahakalapada forest range under Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) at an investment of nearly `24 lakh in 2014-15. It, however, said that the survival percentage of the plantation was 36.46 at Santubi, which should be treated as a failed plantation.

The CAG stated that the joint physical verification wasn’t possible at the site as the team could not enter the mangrove plantation site due to deep muddy terrain and heavy inundation. Accordingly, the verification was carried out using remote sensing method. Satellite images and UAVs were used to analyse the mangrove plantations at Santubi.

The UAVs were deployed in February 2021 in three ANR sites and one mangrove plantation site covering 265 hectares to evaluate the plantation growth in different aspects such as tree count, tree species identification, tree height, spacing, and assessment of soil moisture conservation measures. While the plantation journal had a record of a little over 2.88 lakh trees, the verification done through satellite images and UAVs found that there are around 1.05 lakh trees.

The report also pointed out that the creeks and channels that are the lifeline of mangrove forests were not renovated from time to time as required although Central assistance was received towards the implementation of the Management Action Plan (MAP) for the conservation and management of mangroves in Bhitarkanika.

The CAG underlined that the deviations have been reported to (officials concerned) to improve the evaluation and monitoring of plantation activity in a better way.