Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to plant 3,000 tree saplings this year as part of its green drive. This was informed by BMC Environment Officer Kapilendra Sethi today.
While there is a plan to have 40 plants with iron-mesh tree guards in each ward, the rest will be distributed to be planted in popular parks and public places with need for green cover.
Meanwhile, the plantation drive started today from Pahala in Ward No. 4.
The plantation work is being undertaken by the Environment Cell in BMC and will be coordinated in consultation with the local councillors. For the safety and longevity of each sapling the strongly-built tree guards will definitely help in order to ensure better survival.
“Most plant species were chosen to suit the avenue plantation types and we have saplings of Bakul (Baula) Mimusops elengi, Neem (Nimba) Azadirachta indica, Indian biodiesel tree (Karanja) Pongamiaglabra, Mysore Queen (Bathudia) Spathodia campanulata, Deodar (Debadaru) Polyalthia longifolia, Terminallia bellerica (Bahada), Jack fruit (Panasa) Atrocarpus heterophyllus, Mango (Amba) Magnifera indica and Litchi (Lichhu) Litchi chinensis. While majority were non-fruit-bearing types in case of parks and community places the varieties like Mango and Litchi would be planted,’’ said Sethi.
He further said that after the Super Cyclone, Phailin and Hudhud experience plants like Gold mohur Delonix regia (Krushnachuda) and Radhachuda Caesalpinia pulcherrima have lost their importance due to the fragile nature of their timber, Sethi also added that strong and having better canopy like Indian biodiesel tree (Karanja) Pongamia glabra are more in demand as the plant products are also used for various other uses and it has medicinal value.
“Besides the avenue plantation in 67 wards we can also have to plant trees in parks as BMC has got 55 parks across the city,” the environment officer informed.
On the post-plantation care, the senior official said, “We have to give the support after the rainy season is over as there will be a scarcity of water at that point of time. The Environment Cell has got two tankers and staff for watering of plants and we will see that all the saplings survive.”
Kalinga AI