BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to spend Rs188 crore in areas affected by cyclone Fani under its various schemes to regenerate greenery.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Administration) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Sandip Tripathi said focus is on restoration of uprooted trees, revival of casuarina plantation in the coastal belt , forest cover and avenue plantation. Restoration of damaged trees on private lands is also vital, he said. If not done, degradation of green cover in the affected areas will lead to increase in temperature by at least a degree Celsius above normal, the PCCF said.
The Forest Department has also chalked out plans to restore the damaged forest and green cover in rural and urban areas of Fani-affected districts, particularly Puri, Khurda and Cuttack. The Department will also launch a massive plantation drive in Balukhand Forest area in Puri that has sustained maximum damage in the cyclonic storm.
It was also decided to plant 70 lakh saplings and distribute 50 lakh seedlings among the public free of cost for plantation in the affected districts, he said. “During the cyclone, casuarina plants which worked as a wind-break sustained extensive damage. Accordingly, we have decided to revive casuarina plants in the coastal belt at 8 km stretch,” the PCCF said.
Fani has caused extensive damage to State’s green cover and uprooted millions of trees in the affected districts. The Government fund will be utilised from this year to revive lost greenery. While casuarina plantation will be taken up on around 6,000 hectares, avenue and block plantations will be carried out in a total of 2,200 hectares land initially.
Forest officials said 70,000 cyclone resilient trees will also be planted. Around 25,000 such trees will be used for avenue plantation while remaining trees will be used in affected urban areas to improve their green cover. Around 70,000 saplings will also be planted in semi-urban areas, the officials said. While restoration work is under progress, plantation drive and distribution of seedlings will start from the beginning of July, the PCCF informed.
Plantation drive in Capital
BHUBANESWAR: With the city gearing up to celebrate World Environment Day on Wednesday, the civic authorities said they are taking steps to plant 27,750 saplings across the Capital to compensate the damage caused to its green cover in cyclone Fani. BDA has decided to plant 23,500 plants at 11 different sites while BMC will plant 4,250 saplings at 26 different locations of the city.