Odisha Government sets ambitious green goal

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has set an ambitious target to improve 4.8 lakh hectares (ha) of degraded forest and develop 50,000 ha of farm forestry in the second phase of Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP).

With remarkable success in Phase-I of the externally aided project in which around 2.10 lakh ha of degraded forest were developed to dense forest in 11 forest divisions of 10 districts, the State is now all set to roll out the programme in another 15 forest divisions of 18 districts.

The phase-II programme of OFSDP is estimated to cost Rs 1739.50 crore. The State Government has sought an assistance of Rs 1509.50 crore from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which funded the first phase programme.

This was discussed with a JICA contact mission team led by Deputy Chief Representative Sachiko Imoto at a high level meeting here chaired by Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest-cum-OFSDP Project Director Ajit Patnaik presented the project objectives and outlined the issues for discussion.

“The next phase of the programme will be implemented in 15 forest divisions of Ghumsur north and south, Boudh, Balangir, Subarnapur, Khariar, Kalahandi north and south, Sambalpur north and south, Rairakhol, Sundargarh, Athmallik, Athgarh and Nayagrah,” Patnaik told reporters after the meeting.

Besides, five wildlife divisions - Mahanadi, Sunabeda, Bamara, Hirakud and Keonjhar - will have activities relating bio-diversity conservation, he added.

The State Government has proposed to take up farm forestry in seven divisions including Berhampur, Bargarh, Khurda, Cuttack and Dhenkanal. Besides, income generating activities and livelihood support will be upscaled in 11 forest divisions covered in first phase.

Patnaik further said the State Government share in the second phase programme will be Rs 200 crore and it will be rolled out from 2018-19. The project period will be 10 years.

A number of income generating activities will be taken up at village level to provide alternative livelihood and earning to local people. Around 3000 Vana Surakhya Samitis (VSS) and 10,000 self-help groups (SHGs) will be provided additional income through alternative livelihood sources, official sources said.

The first phase programme was implemented from 2006-07 to 2014-15 with total financial outlay of Rs 802 crore.

Forest plan

In Phase-I of OFSDP, 2.10 lakh ha of degraded forest were developed to dense forest in 11 divisions of 10 districts

State will roll out the programme in another 15 forest divisions of 18 districts