Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), in collaboration with the Forest Department, has intensified its efforts to expand the green cover of the capital city by promoting urban forests, Miyawaki plantations, avenue plantations and greening of road medians.
As part of the initiative, a new Miyawaki forest was created on land belonging to the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) near the Baramunda bus stand Wednesday, with around 8,000 saplings planted at the site.
BMC Mayor Sulochana Das attended the plantation programme as the chief guest.
Deputy Mayor Manjulata Kanhar, Education and Cultural Standing Committee chairman Ramachandra Ranasingh, Grievance Standing Committee chairperson Binayini Jena, Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Das, former corporator and social worker Ashwin Kumar Samantaray, South-West Zonal Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Patra, Assistant Commissioner Lokanath Behera, Environment Officer Himani Nayak and Forest Department official Puhan Tudu were among those present.
Members of local women’s self-help groups, voluntary organisations, local residents and BMC officials and employees also participated in the plantation drive.
The BMC said it has planted lakhs of trees and created several urban forests across the city over the past three years, emerging as an example of urban greening efforts.
In the 2024-25 financial year, the civic body, with the support of the City Forest Division, planted more than 21,000 sap lings and created five Miyawaki forests at different locations.
The initiative was expanded in 2025-26, when 54,850 saplings were planted to create 10 Miyawaki forests with the support of the City Forest Division and Chandaka Wildlife Division.
For 2026-27, the BMC has set an ambitious target of planting one lakh trees across Bhubaneswar to strengthen the city’s urban green ecosystem and promote environmental sustainability.
So far, 53,500 saplings have been planted and seven Miyawaki forests created under the campaign.
Wednesday’s plantation marks the eighth Miyawaki forest of the current year.
With this addition, the BMC has created a total of 22 Miyawaki forests in its jurisdiction over the past three years.
Besides the Miyawaki model, the civic body is also undertaking extensive plantation along avenues, road medians and vacant plots.