Over 10,000 plant saplings of various species like bamboo, Akasia and mango were planted by activists of the Upakula Jami Jungle Suraksha Samiti in a vast tract of Government forestland in the Sipasarubali area situated on the outskirt of Puri along the shoreline.
The programme was conducted by Samiti convenor Batakrushna Swain on Monday. The area is part of the 13,000 acres of land recovered by the district administration from the clutches of land mafia following court orders.
The area was earmarked for establishment of Samuka, a mega tourism complex. The activists have been opposing the Samuka project and demanding distribution of the land among the landless poor of the nearby villages.