Bhubaneswar: In an effort to expand the city’s green cover and further improve air quality, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday carried out an extensive tree plantation drive at the Temporary Transit Shelter (TTS) near Sainik School.
More than 1,000 saplings were planted across the campus on the occasion.
Housing & Urban Development Minister Krishna Chandra Mohapatra inaugurated the programme as chief guest and also opened a newly-built Clean Canteen at the site.
Speaking at the event, the Minister expressed pride that Bhubaneswar now ranks fourth in the country in the Clean Air Survey rankings, crediting sustained green initiatives and large-scale plantation under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for the achievement. He called upon citizens, self-help groups, voluntary organisations, educational institutions and other bodies to actively partner with BMC in its mission to make the city greener.
Mohapatra further noted that although the transit shelter campus already had a good number of trees, the addition of over a thousand new plants will substantially improve the area’s greenery.
According to a BMC release, the saplings planted at the TTS were carefully selected and approved by the Pollution Control Board. Only shade-giving, flowering and high-oxygen-producing species were chosen, deliberately excluding fruit-bearing trees so the focus remains squarely on air purification and cooling. Medium-height saplings were used to ensure faster canopy formation and quicker establishment of a sustainable green belt.
Mayor Sulochana Das highlighted the success of earlier Miyawaki-method plantations carried out by BMC, which have now matured into dense urban forests. She stressed that while planting is important, regular maintenance is what guarantees long-term results, pointing out that the corporation’s avenue and Miyawaki plantations are thriving today because of proper care.
Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, Usha Padhee, commended BMC’s ongoing work to bolster urban ecology. She said developing robust green infrastructure is as critical as building roads and buildings in a rapidly growing city like Bhubaneswar. The initiatives, she added, are in line with the state government’s larger climate-resilience goals and can succeed only through collective community ownership.
BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana, in his welcome address, underlined the importance of afforestation in protecting the city from natural calamities and preserving ecological balance.The programme ended with Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Das proposing the vote of thanks.
