Odisha approves Rs 903-cr plan under CAMPA for afforestation

The State Level Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Odisha has approved a plan with a total outlay of Rs 903.39 crore for various plantation activities during the 2021-22 fiscal, officials said on Sunday. The major activities under the CAMPA included block plantation, regeneration of bamboo forest, maintenance of previous year plantation, wildlife management, infrastructure development, capacity building research and evaluation, they said.

A programme to take up plantation in 40,494 hectares of land and bamboo cultivation in 75,000 hectares was planned during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra, the officials said. The soil and moisture conservation works would be taken up in 7,000 hectares of land, he said.

The old roadside plantation covering 1,54,865 hectares of land will be maintained, while intensive afforestation would be taken up in 551 hectares of the bald hill. Similarly, it was planned that around 70 culverts and 100 causeways would be built in the forest area and 150 tube wells would be dug in the remote villages inside the forest.

"It was decided to invest money for the maintenance of fire protection line, operation of 216 squads and support to VSS (vana surakshya samiti) to protest the forest from fire," the officials said.

"As of now, a total forest area of 56,958.73 hectares has been diverted for various public and developmental purposes in Odisha. Against this, afforestation has been done in 67,828 hectares," the CAMPA, Odish, CEO U Nanduri said.