Bhubaneswar, July 7: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said that the forest and tree cover has increased by 558 square kilometeres in the last two years in the State.
Participating in the 77th State-level Vanmahotsav event at Kapileswar here, the Chief Minister said, “Odisha's forest and tree cover has increased by 558 square kilometres during the last two years, enabling the State to secure the third position in India in terms of forest and tree cover growth.”
The CM also planted a sapling to mark the celebration.
Maintaining that large-scale afforestation is the only solution to address global climate change and increasingly severe heatwave conditions, Majhi announced that that 15.93 lakh saplings would be planted over 358 hectares of land in the State in the current year.
The Chief Minister said that under the Green Mahanadi Mission, a 1.5-km-wide green cover is being developed along the banks of seven major rivers - Mahanadi, Tel, Ib, Brahmani, Rushikulya, Baitarani, and Vansadhara - to ensure perennial river flow and ecological sustainability. During 2025-26, 5.65 lakh saplings were planted over 774 hectares. During 2026-27, there is a target to plant nearly 9 lakh saplings over 2,702 hectares.
He further informed that under the ‘Increased Green Cover’ scheme, around 15.93 lakh saplings will be planted this year. Nearly 6.95 lakh saplings are also planned for urban areas to reduce pollution.
Under the ‘Ama Jangala Yojana’, 19,975 hectares of degraded forests are being restored, with 43.18 lakh local beneficiaries being integrated into livelihood-based programmes worth Rs 1,488.52 crore.
Highlighting other major initiatives, the Chief Minister said that under the CAMPA programme, afforestation has been planned over more than 20,562 hectares next year. Through the JICA-supported Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project-II (OFSDP-II), 1,210 Forest Protection Committees are being involved in forest management.
For coastal protection, mangrove forests are being developed over 89 hectares under the Central Government's MISHTI scheme, said the CM.
To mitigate lightning risks, the State planted 17.90 lakh palm saplings during the previous financial year.
“The newly launched Viksit Bharat–Rozgar Guarantee and Livelihood Mission (Rural), jointly implemented by the Central and State Governments from July 1, will generate employment while promoting plantation activities,” said the CM.
The Chief Minister said that the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign has become a people's movement in Odisha. “On the Prime Minister's birthday last year, the State planted 1.49 crore saplings in a single day.”
The Central Government has set a target of planting 3.76 crore saplings in Odisha this year.
The Chief Minister presented the State-Level Chief Minister's Awards for outstanding contributions to forest protection and afforestation. The Jereng Budhipahad Forest Protection Committee of Angul and the Gudgudia Eco Development Committee (EDC) of Mayurbhanj were each felicitated with a cash award of Rs 2 lakh.
Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. K. Murugeshan, senior Government officials, representatives of social organisations, and students attended the event and planted saplings.
