Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday asked DFOs to prepare a roadmap for improving forest health or the general condition of forests.
Odisha has recorded the highest increase in mangrove forest cover and the third highest in overall forest cover among all the states and Union territories between 2019 and 2021, as per the India State of Forest Report-2021.
Inaugurating a two-day conference of divisional forest officers (DFOs) here, Patnaik said the roadmap will suggest ways to reduce man-animal conflict, prevent trafficking, provide livelihood to people living on the fringe of forests, mitigate wildfires and allow forests to grow without destruction, thus improving their health.
He said the forest cover in the state has increased due to the tireless efforts of Van Suraksha Samiti (VSS) members and forest personnel.
Noting that afforestation is a key component in providing employment to people residing in villages on the fringes of the forest, thus improving their living standards, he advised officials concerned to rope in women self-help groups for planting seedlings and taking care of those.
He said that eco-tourism has brought Rs 10.51-crore business in 2021-22, and local communities have benefited Rs 2.61 crore from it.
“Eco-tourism has provided new opportunities to people of the fringe villages, and we should upscale this to harness the untapped potential of our forests,” he said.
He expressed happiness over Odisha extensively using digital technology in forest management.
As per the India State of Forest Report, Odisha’s forest cover has increased by 537.3 sq km from 2019-21, trailing Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) and Telangana (632 sq km).
The state’s forest cover has increased to 52,155.95 sq km, comprising 33.5 per cent of the total geographical area, from 51,619 sq km in 2019, it said.
Odisha also topped states and UTs in an increase in mangrove forest cover, adding 8 sq km of it since 2017, it added.
At the event, state Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister B K Arukha said that the department has reduced incidents of forest fires by 50 per cent as compared to last year.
Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said that the state’s green cover is increasing consistently over the last 20-25 years.
PTI
