Odisha approves Rs 903-cr plan under CAMPA for afforestation

The State Level CompensatoryAfforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)in Odisha has approved a plan with a total outlay of Rs 903.39crore for various plantation activities during the 2021-22fiscal, officials said on Sunday.

The major activities under the CAMPA included blockplantation, regeneration of bamboo forest, maintenance ofprevious year plantation, wildlife management, infrastructuredevelopment, capacity building research and evaluation, theysaid.

A programme to take up plantation in 40,494 hectaresof land and bamboo cultivation in 75,000 hectares was plannedduring a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra, theofficials said.

The soil and moisture conservation works would betaken up in 7,000 hectares of land, he said.

The old roadside plantation covering 1,54,865 hectaresof land will be maintained, while intensive afforestationwould be taken up in 551 hectares of the bald hill.

Similarly, it was planned that around 70 culverts and100 causeways would be built in the forest area and 150 tubewells would be dug in the remote villages inside the forest.

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

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

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