Angul: Gitanjali Samal, a teacher by profession and environmentalist by passion, has single-handedly created a green cover by spending more than Rs eight lakh from her own sources.
In the last six months, Gitanjali has planted more than 10,000 saplings at various places of Angul.
Whether inside the town or outside, wherever she finds open space, she plants a sapling. She also distributes saplings to a number of schools free of cost.
Without accepting donation or grant from anyone, Gitanjali goes around carrying saplings on her scooty and plant those by paying the labour charge for digging pits. She spends around Rs 20,000 from her salary towards her passion every month.
As a conservationist, she also takes care of the saplings by putting make-shift fences to save those from the cattle and waters those regularly. Many environmentalists and intellectuals have applauded her efforts for plantation drive.
Belonging to a village in Budhapanka under Banarpal block of the district, Gitanjali has received higher education in botanical science.
At present, she is posted as a science teacher at Madhu Sagar Vidyapith in Kendrapada. She has planted saplings on the premises of the Vidyapith also.
