BHUBANESWAR: With the State claiming to have become surplus in quality planting materials for fruit bearing trees, the Government decided to intensify horticulture plantation.
Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra, who reviewed the situation at a meeting here, asked the departments concerned to have ‘sky watch’ monitoring of horticultural plantations through remote sensing devices.
The State is not required to import fruit saplings anymore which was the practice till last planting season.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to take up plantation of fruit-bearing trees in the fenced campuses of ashram schools.
Setting the slogan of ‘One child one plant’, Mohapatra said each child should plant one fruit-bearing plant.
It was decided that no permission will be required for cutting old cashew trees from revenue land for replacing them with new saplings, as cashew is a non-forest species.
The meeting also decided to work for convergence of horticultural plantation with OTELP, ITDA and Watershed projects. Funds from MGNREGA have also beenroped in to this activity through convergence.
In 2011-12 and 2012-13 fruit plantation was taken up on around 24,176 and 23,708 hectares of land respectively.
The plantation area increased to 29,020 hectares during 2013-14.
Action Plan has been drawn for fruit plantation over 32,583 hectares during 2014-15, thereby marking a growth of around 34 per cent over 2011-12.
Mango has been the dominant species of plantation in the State over the years. Other species planted include litchi, lime, orange, cashew, amla, oil palms, banana, sapota, papaya and custard apple.
Ground level activities have been taken up for plantation of mangoes of different varieties over 13,550 hectares, litchi over 200 hectares, guava over 110 hectares, lime over 115 hectares, pomegranate over 50 hectares, orange over 100 hectares, cashew over 7,700, coconut over 2,666 hectares, oil palm over 4800 hectares, banana over 2797 hectares, papaya over 250 hectares and pineapple over 245 hectares.
SELF-SUFFICIENT
■ Odisha not required to import fruit saplings anymore
■ No permission required for cutting old cashew trees as it is a non-forest specie
■ Mango has been the dominant species of plantation in the State over the years
■ Taking up plantation of fruit-bearing trees in ashram schools suggested