BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said the state has recorded an increase of 558 sq km in forest and tree cover over past two years, making it the third best performing state in the country in expanding green cover.
Addressing the state-level Van Mahotsav at Kapileswar here, Majhi asserted that economic development and environmental conservation are complementary to each other and called for mass participation in afforestation to tackle climate change and rising temperatures.
The chief minister highlighted a series of large-scale forestry initiatives aimed at restoring degraded forests, protecting river ecosystems and generating rural livelihoods. Under the Ama Jungle Yojana, the state has restored 19,975 hectares of degraded forests, benefiting 43.18 lakh stakeholders through livelihood-based programmes worth `1,488.52 crore, he said.
Majhi said the Sabuja Mahanadi Mission is creating 1.5 km-wide green belts along seven major rivers, including the Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani and Rushikulya. After planting 5.65 lakh saplings across 774 hectares in 2025-26, the state plans to add nearly nine lakh saplings over 2,702 hectares during 2026-27.
He announced that the state would undertake afforestation over 20,562 hectares under the CAMPA programme next year. The state is also implementing coastal mangrove restoration under the Centre’s MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme and restoring 2,405 hectares of saline forests through the ECRICC (Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities) project.
The chief minister said 17.9 lakh palm saplings were planted during the last financial year as a natural measure to reduce lightning-related fatalities, while urban forestry programmes aim to plant nearly 6.95 lakh saplings this year.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, Majhi said Odisha had planted 14.9 million saplings in a single day last year and uploaded records of 81.2 million plantations on the Meri LiFE portal. The Centre has assigned Odisha a target of 37.6 million saplings for the current year.
Forest, Environment and Climate Change minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia stressed the need for community participation in forest conservation.
During the event, the chief minister presented cash award of `2 lakh each to two community forest protection groups Jereng Budhipahad Forest Protection Committe, Angul and Gudgudia Environmental Development Committee, Mayurbhanj for their contribution to forest conservation.
