Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed three Odia people for their inspirational works to protect the environment by planting trees.
While addressing the nation the 75th episode of Mann Ki Baat program, PM Modi appreciated Bijay Kumar Kabi of Kendrapara and Amresh Samant of Paradip.
Notably, many villages of Kendrapara district are prone to the dangers of high tides and Cyclones as the district is on the sea coast. This also causes havoc at times.
However, Bijay felt that if anything can stop this environmental devastation, the only thing that can stop it, it is only nature. That is he began his mission from the village of Barakot and toiling for the next 12 years he raised a 25-acre mangrove forest on the outskirts of the village towards the sea. Today this forest is protecting Barakot village.
Bijay has been felicitated with several awards for his exemplary work of protecting the village.
Likewise, an engineer Amresh Samant has done similar work in Paradip of Jagatsinghpur district. He has planted micro-forests, which are protecting many villages today.
The Prime Minister also appreciated Pushpa Shukla of Bhubaneswar. She had earlier written a letter to him urging to mention the excitement of the senior citizens regarding the COVID vaccination drive across the country in his Mann Ki Baat speech.