BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to compensate the depleting forest cover in several districts, the state government has hiked the plantation budget by over 87 per cent to around Rs 762 crore in the current (2026-27) fiscal for scaling up plantation drive and ensuring their maintenance for the next three years.
The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released in December 2024, had revealed that Odisha’s forest size, excluding the tree cover, had increased to 52,433.56 sq km in 2023 from 52,281.67 sq km in 2021, registering a growth of 151.89 sq km during the period. However, it had also noted that at least 12 districts, mostly tribal-dominated, recorded a decline in forest cover.
The Forest department had also informed the Assembly in the last session that about 94,000 hectare area in the state was affected by wildfires in a decade between 2016 and 2025. It had also informed the House that about 14,433 hectare of forest land has been diverted in the state for 176 mining projects in the last 10 years.
A senior official from the Forest department said a target has been set to take up plantation on 28,000 hectare area this year, 1,000 ha more than the previous year’s target of 27,000 ha. The overwhelming response to ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ programme is another reason the Forest department has decided to expand the plantation activity, he said.
As per the allocation, Rs 341.99 crore will be spent for plantation under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), while another Rs 189.95 crore utilised under MGNREGS. Around Rs 90 crore each will also be spent under ‘Increasing Green Cover’ and ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ schemes, while bamboo plantation will be promoted at an investment of around Rs 32 crore under National Bamboo Mission (NBM).
The state will also take up plantation under Centre’s National Mission for Green India at an investment of around Rs 18.20 crore.
The provision of funds made this financial year for plantation is around 87.7 pc more compared to last year’s Rs 406.89 crore. Around 3,682 ha area will be covered under artificial regeneration (AR) plantation, while another 23,979 ha will be covered under assisted natural regeneration (ANR) plantation.
Avenue plantation will be taken up on 2,060 km stretch. The department will also plant around 1.37 crore saplings including 6.95 lakh under urban tree plantation drive. Besides, a target has been set for distribution of about 5.50 crore seedlings among beneficiaries for plantation in their own land.
Sources said the government has also planned to take up mangrove plantation on 17 ha area in Bhadrak and Kendrapara under Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), ECRICC and CAMPA.
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Plantation to be taken up at Rs 762 cr
Rs 341.99 cr to be spent under CAMPA, Rs 189.95 cr under MGNREGS
Rs 90 cr each under ‘Increasing Green Cover’ and ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ schemes
Rs 32 cr for bamboo plantation under NBM