Bhubaneswar, Nov 4: The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has planned to undertake a massive palm tree plantation drive along the notified forest block boundaries during the next planting seasons i.e. 2024-25 and 2025-26 with OSDMA Fund.
palm trees have multiple benefits. It acts as a lightning arrester alongside securing the forest block boundaries. It will also provide fodder to wild animals, especially elephants, said Satyabrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, FE&CC department and Special Relief Commissioner.
It was decided in the recently held State level DFO Conference in the presence of FE&CC Minister Pradip Kumar Amat after thorough discussions. The human-elephant conflict will be lowered after the completion of plantation drive.
There are 4479 notified forest blocks with 39,671 Sq. Km of boundary lines. The total number of boundary pillars in these forest blocks comes to 4, 80,207. It is proposed to plant four plam trees near each boundary pillar along the forest block boundary. Around 19 lakh palm trees will be planted with an expense of nearly Rs 7.5 crore.
