Odisha Forest Minister Bijayshree Routray rolled out an ambitious plan of action-“Green Mahanadi: Save Mahanadi” involving massive plantation over 50,000 acres of land along the river to help retention of water and make it a perennial river.
Talking to media persons after a high level meeting with officials today,Mr Routray said the survey and identification of land has been done and 1.60 crore saplings will be planted. By April rearing of saplings in nurseries will be completed and pits ready in May so that plantation commences from June, he said.
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Most of the land is degraded forest or government land. There are quiet a large chunk of private land in which the government will encourage people to take up horticulture and agro forestry. Both horticulture and agro culture wings of the government will support such activity said the Minister. It is learnt that the forest department will also request the industries department to ensure that land bank for industries do not come up near the river.
Such industrial land, if any, may be shifted at least five km away from the river belt plantation scheme. A comprehensive plan of action with afforestation, horticulture and agroforestry has been worked out. Mahanadi as well as its tributaries – Ib, Tel and river Devi are the targetted zones for such protection measures.
The effort is to try and conserve water, soil and protect the river. While Mahanadi has been in the news for the water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha, such a move has come as a welcome step. Mahanadi is not a perinnial river and upstream in Chhattisgarh it goes virtually dry during summer resulting in a drastic reduction of flow to downstream Odisha.
Chhattisgarh has been building barrages upstream of the river for storage for industrial and agricultural use thereby adversely impacting similar requirements in Odisha. Shockingly Odisha, overthe last 20 years or more has not been able to set up a barrage to save the excess water than flows during monsoon.
