Orissa to embark on massive plantation drive.

To take the 'plant a sapling each' campaign to the masses, the Orissa Government has chosen a day for massive plantation across the State on the line of the drive undertaken in the States like Uttar Pradesh.On a single day, tentatively fixed as July 15, the Government has decided to plant at least 20 lakh saplings in 250 locations having about 1,250 hectares of land, a senior forest official said. Like the Uttar Pradesh Government had planted about one crore saplings on a single day last year, the Orissa Government will also lead the drive on a mammoth scale, according to Forest Department sources.

The massive plantation will involve all sections of the people to build awareness as well as to ensure transparency in forestation programme," the sources said.During the year, the Government decided to plant 4.50 crore saplings on about one lakh hectares of land.Factors like the onset of monsoon prompted the authorities to settle for July as the time would be conducive for plantation. The Forest Department has sent a letter to the implementing agency of NREGS to include plantation work under its labour intensive work, according to the officials.The drive would help to raise the forest area by growing forest on barren lands.