Berhampur: Taking to plant a sapling each campaign to the people, the Orissa government has chosen a day for massive plantation across the state, emulating states like Uttar Pradesh.

On a single day, tentatively fixed on July 15, the government has decided to plant at least 20 lakh different saplings in 250 different locations covering about 1,250 hectares of land, a senior forest official told PTI.

In a similar move last year, the Uttar Pradesh government had planted about one crore trees across the state with involvement of people.

While Uttar Pradesh had planted about one crore saplings on a single day last year since its size is much bigger, the Orissa government's drive was also on a mammoth scale, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests S C Mohanty said.

"The massive plantation will be undertaken by involving all sections of the people to build awareness as well as to ensure transparency in afforestation programme," he said.

Factors like the onset of monsoon prompted authorities to settle for July when the time would be very conducive for plantation.

The official said during the year, the government decided to plant 4.50 crore saplings on about one lakh hectares of land. "We are now ready to plant on about 80,000 lakh hectares."

The forest department has despatched a letter to the implementing agency of National Rural Employment Generation Scheme to include plantation work under its labour intensive work, he said.

The drive would help increase the forest cover as well as to make barren lands green.
Source : PTI