Nayagarh: A plan to plant fruit-bearing trees like mango to ensure enough fodder for elephants in this district has been mired in controversies and irregularities attributed to forest officials, a report alleged. The plantation of mango saplings has been taken up under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The plan is to plant 25,000 saplings on 50 hectares of land in Gochha reserve forest and 30,000 saplings on 150 hectares of land in Banijhari proposed reserve forest area.
Reports said that a mango forest is being created to provide food for the elephants at Gochha reserve forest and proposed Banijhari reserve forest under Panchrida forest range of Nayagarh division. The plan was to plant 55,000 mango saplings but forest officials have planted only 4,000 much to everybody’s disappointment.
Moreover, it has been alleged that huge amount of money to the tune of several lakhs have been siphoned off on the pretext of sapling plantations. Allegations are rife that the saplings are not being planted in a scientific manner with pits being dug up under Sal trees. It is a well-known fact that mango saplings will never grow under another tree. Moreover, the pits are only six inches in depth instead of the 1.5 feet required for the growth of mango saplings. Forest officials have also not implemented any steps to protect the saplings. It was alleged that many saplings got destroyed as they were just placed beside the dug up pits. These rotten saplings were thrown into water bodies and new saplings were purchased after a video of it went viral. A spot inquiry of the plantation program revealed that at many places saplings were lying scattered and the pits empty.
Locals and tribals alleged that only 4,000- 5,000 saplings have been planted in proposed Banijhari reserve forest. Residents Rabindra Pradhan and Ranka Pradhan alleged that the forest guard at the Gochha beat house is siphoning off lakhs on the pretext of the plantation. The guard has been transferred but he has managed to stay on at the same place. ACF Himanshu Sekhar Muduli said that he will conduct a probe into it. DFO Kshyama Sarangi said she will order a probe into the dumping of saplings