Bhubabeswar, June 2: The Orissa government aims to plant nearly 5.80 crore saplings in the state during the current financial year.
The saplings will be planted nearly in 2.5 lakh hectares. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik here this evening.
Stress would be laid on plantation in the industrial areas. The saplings will be planted on roadside to curb the pollution caused by the plying of heavy vehicles.
Moreover, Naveen asked officials to focus on survivability of the plants. “The government is planning to engage an independent agency to keep a watch on survival of the plants,” said a senior official of the forest department.
Under the plantation programme, Orissa targets to plant nearly 7.5 lakh saplings in seven towns, including the capital city. In Bhubaneswar alone, 3.5 lakh saplings will be planted.
Naveen stressed that plantation programme should go on a bigger way in industrial belts of Talcher, Jharsuguda and Rourkela. Due to the ongoing industrialisation and mining activities in the areas, the rising pollution level has turned to be a major threat.
The Orissa government also plans to rope in school and college students for the plantation programme. The plantation programme will be undertaken between July 1 to July 7. Nearly 50 saplings will be planted on each school premises under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. At least three persons will be given wage employment for 100 days under the job scheme in each school. They would take care of the saplings. Saplings would be planted along the roads covering 1,000km in the rural areas.
The government also plans to bring all people in the ambit of the plantation programme. Under the farm forestry programme, two crore saplings will be distributed to people for Re 1 each. All the forest ranges have been asked to develop a nursery in their respective areas. Now, the nurseries are operating in the 164 forest ranges out of 281.
It was also decided that traditional plants such as, mango, sal and medicinal plants, would be planted on roadside.
