Berhampur: The forest department plans to plant over 58.1 lakh saplings, which include 49.32 lakh for distribution in Ganjam this year, to increase green cover in the southern Odisha district.While the department has planned to plant around 8.79 lakh saplings in different places, it has decided to distribute 49.32 lakh saplings to the public in various initiatives, including 12 lakh under the increasing green coverage initiatives in all three forest divisions of the district.The plantation drive was kicked off in the district from Wednesday during the Van Mahotsav celebrations in all three divisions — Berhampur, Ghumusar North and Ghumusar South. The highest number — 21.68 lakh saplings — will be planted in Ghumusar North division, 19.31 lakh in Ghumusar South and 17.12 lakh in Berhampur division, sources said.Besides the fruit-bearing and wild species, Berhampur division has decided to plant around 20,000 bamboo saplings in its area. “We have selected the sites and the plantation has started from Wednesday,” said Sunny Khokkar, divisional forest officer (DFO), Berhampur. He said they have also started distribution of saplings. MLA (Berhampur) K Anil Kumar inaugurated a sapling distribution kiosk at the divisional office.Besides opening up the kiosks, they also distribute saplings to public to plant in open spaces through mobile vans, said Himansi Sekhar Mohanty, DFO, Ghumusar North. The saplings are also being distributed in crowded places like bus stands, market areas, etc, he said.While the cost of each sapling is fixed at Re 1, it is distributed free of cost to educational and other institutions. Different varieties of saplings, including neem, mango, banyan, ala and several others, are being distributed, he added. Appealing to the public to join hands with the department to increase green coverage in the district, forest officials advised people to come to the nearby forest department office to receive saplings for plantation.
