Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday asked civic bodies of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to develop urban forest parks as this initiative would help prevent encroachment of areas and enhance green cover in the vicinity of the two cities.
At a high-level meeting to review the progress of plantation and green coverage in cities, Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra directed officials to establish at least seven such urban forest parks in the first phase and open those for people.
The idea of urban forestry is to promote green cover in cities and conservation among citizens.
Mohapatra asked the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) and the civic bodies of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to work in tandem for developing these facilities in and around the twin cities.
It was decided that the municipal corporations will provide infrastructure supports such as pathways, drinking water, electricity and amenities for picnics in the proposed urban parks and the OFDC would maintain it, an official release said.
Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Mona Sharma said these facilities could be managed by a self-sustaining revenue-generating model.
A committee of officials from the departments concerned will make a field visit soon to identify the spots for urban forest parks in the first phase, it added.
PTI
