Odisha approves Rs 903-cr plan under CAMPA for afforestation

    Bhubaneswar, Jan 17 (PTI) 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.
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