Attabira: Nearly 16,000 saplings were planted under the Sabuja Mahandi Mission on 10 hectares at Udepur under Bheden block of Bargarh district in 2018- 19.
In two years, 1600 trees have hardly survived in the land for lack of post-plantation maintenance that points to failure of the green mission, a report said.
The mission’s project was executed under the MGNREGS while the Bargarh forest division was looking after the plantation area. Most of the saplings have died.
Besides, plantation was done along Udepur-MCL mine road in 2020-21 at a cost of Rs 66,000. Most of the samplings have died due to lack of maintenance.
Locals alleged that cores of rupees were spent for the plantation, but given the poor survival of saplings, the mission has failed in Bheden block. Notably, the state government had launched ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ June 6, 2018.
It was aimed at creating a green belt with a width of 1 km on both sides of the Mahanadi beginning from its source and till its tail end in Paradip.
The bid was to rejuvenate the Mahanadi, Tel and Ib rivers and increase their recharge capacity by massive plantation.
The mission entails plantation over 75,760 hectare of government land besides 47,470 hectare of private land. Two crore saplings, including fruit-bearing trees, were to be planted on both sides of the river during 2018-19 fiscal.
When asked about the failure of the mission, Bargarh ranger Mahendra Patra said the matter will be investigated soon.
PNN
