Rejuvenating Mahanadi: Five Crore Saplings To Be Planted Along River Basin

Boudh: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated the ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’, a plantation drive along the Mahanadi river basin, during his visit to western Odisha to review flood situation.

Under this mission, more than five crore saplings will be planted over an area of 41,000 hectares. The plantation will be done on either side of major rivers of Odisha as well as along roadside length of about 5,000 km over a period of five years.

According to official sources, ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ is a drive to recharge and revitalize the groundwater reserve along the river bank.

Primarily fruit-bearing trees like mango, jackfruit and jamun will be planted within one km radius of the Mahanadi bank. The said plantation will benefit in multiple ways, which include groundwater harvesting, prevention of soil erosion and income and livelihood opportunities for the local communities, the sources said.

To be taken up at an estimated expenditure of around Rs 5,000 crore, the initiative will be later extended to other major rivers of the state like Ib and Tel, the sources added.

It is being jointly implemented by the departments of Forest, Horticulture and Watershed Development.

The state government had kicked off the mission in Sambalpur on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 6.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sambalpur Sanjeet Kumar had the said that a green belt having a width of 1 km will be created from the place where the river enters Odisha till Paradip where it merges with the Bay of Bengal.

Plantation will be also carried out on the bunds of paddy and vegetable fields. Saplings of fruit-bearing trees, which do not have bad impact on crops, will also be grown on these, he said.

Two ‘Ban Doot’ will be identified in each village along the Mahanadi to spread awareness about the mission, besides ‘Mahanadi Sevaks’ who will encourage villagers to plant trees, Kumar revealed.

A specially designed vehicle ‘Sabuja Mahanadi Sachetana Rath’ was also flagged off on the occasion to create awareness among people.