Chief Secretary AP Padhi on Wednesday asked the Forest Department to involve villagers, Van Sanrakshan Samitis and youth organisations in the Green Mahanadi Mission to achieve 100-per cent plantation target.
Reviewing activities of the Mission, Padhi asked officers to take all steps for creating awareness about the Mission and integrating MGNREGA programmes and other environment development projects at the field levels. He directed to supply saplings of fruit-bearing plants for plantation on private lands.
Forests and Environment ACS Suresh Chandra Mohapatra informed that while a total of 8,340.25 acres of land have been identified for plantation during 2018-19 under the Mission, plantation has been undertaken on 6799.25 acres by now.
Besides, roadside plantation has been undertaken along 828 km roads against identified 1,053-km roads. Similarly, 60.01 lakh samplings have been distributed against target of 94.38 lakh.
It is revealed that special plantation programme has begun through horticulture and watershed projects for the Green Mahanadi Mission. Fruit-bearing saplings have been planted on 636 hectares of land against targeted 917 hectares. Similarly, plantation has been undertaken on 220.15 hectares of land though the watershed project.
In the first phase, plantation had been undertaken on 1-km land area along from the Mahanadi bank. It was decided that such activity would be undertaken along the Rushikulya, Baitararni and Brahmani rivers. A total of Rs 448 crore has been set to be spent under the mission over five years.
Among others, Agriculture Production Commissioner Gagan Kumar Dhal, Agriculture Secretary Sourav Garg, Panchayati Raj Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh and Cooperation Secretary Anu Garg were present.