Berhampur: The district administration will launch a mega plantation drive in the district involving schoolchildren to restore the green cover destroyed in the back to back cyclonic storms, a report said Wednesday.
The scheme titled ‘Pilatie Gachhatie’ will be launched after the schools reopen in the district June 26, after summer vacation. Over 5 lakh children will participate in this programme which will continue for 10 days.
As part of the scheme, the district administration will hand over one sapling each to over 5 lakh school going children and ask them to plant it near their houses or in their neighbourhoods.
Notably, Ganjam district is repeatedly facing onslaught of cyclonic storms which has destroyed its green cover.
The matter came to fore from a letter (5570/DRDA, dated-18.06.2019) of the Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange to all BDOs and BEOs in the district Wednesday.
The Collector has issued directions to all the block development officers (BDO) and block education officers (BEO) to oversee the implementation of plantation drive in their respective areas.
A special team will review the plantation drive after a year and the successful students will be rewarded for their efforts with prize and certificates in the Vana Mahotsav progrmme. A programme ‘Selfie with tree’ will be organised and the students whose trees have grown well will be awarded in functions.
The Collector in his letter has said that in past years the students have expressed a lot of interest in implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Clean School premises scheme.
The scheme on plantation drive will be launched when the schools reopen after summer vacation. The block education officers and the district education officers will be the nodal officers for the scheme in block and district levels respectively. The BEOs will submit a list of the students to the BDO.
The BDO after receiving the list will arrange the saplings with the help of forest department, soil conservation department and horticulture department. The BDO on receiving the saplings will supply them to the schools.
The schools will later, arrange a function inviting the managing committee members, panchayat representatives, guardians and dignitaries as guests and distribute the saplings to the students. The school authorities will not only distribute the saplings but also teach them to dig soils, apply manure and water the saplings.
The students will have to plant the saplings on the same day near their house or in an open space in their neighbourhoods. The students could plant the saplings on their school premises if they do not find a proper place to plant the saplings.
The respective BDOs, BEOs and the concerned headmasters will have to oversee the successful implementation of the saplings by the students.
When contacted, DEO Sanatan Panda said that a roadmap has been prepared for the plantation drive and hoped this scheme will be successful like earlier schemes have been.
PNN
