Odisha Advances Compensatory Afforestation Strategies: Chief Secretary Chairs Steering Committee Meeting

Bhubaneswar: A State Level Steering Committee meeting of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA) in Odisha was convened under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Thursday. The meeting, held at Lokseva Bhawan, focused on reviewing and advancing strategies for afforestation and environmental conservation in the state.

Chief Secretary Jena, in the meeting, emphasized the utilization of Drone Technology for forest cover mapping before and after plantation, enabling effective monitoring and assessment. The use of technology was deemed essential to evaluate the success and impact of afforestation efforts over time.

Among the key attendees at the meeting were DC-Cum-ACS Anu Garg, ACS Revenue, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department Satyabrat Sahu, Principal Secretary Finance Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary PR & DW Sushil Kumar Lohani, Principal Secretary RD, I & PR Sanjay Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary SC & Tech Chithra Arumugam, PCCF & HOFF Debidatta Biswal, PCCF(Wildlife) Sushant Nanda, and other committee members.

PCCF & HOFF Biswal presented an overview of the issues and expenditure of the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) for the year 2023-24, along with the fund position of the State Authority CAMPA. The meeting also reviewed the formulation of APO-2024-25 and assessed the progress of ongoing activities.

The cumulative outlay from APO 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 was reported to be 3230.32 Crore, with Rs. 3041.17 Crore approved by the National Authority (CAMPA). Expenditure as of 30.11.2023 was Rs. 2397.99 Crore, and under APO 2023-24, as of 31.12.2023, the expenditure reached Rs. 644.53 Crore.

Major activities carried out included compensatory afforestation, integrated wildlife management programs, wildlife management, plantation under NPV, bamboo regeneration, forest protection and fire prevention, Ama Jangal Yojana, infrastructure development, Forest IT & Geometrics, monitoring and evaluation, silvicultural research, production of QPM, and more.

The proposed APO-2024-25, presented for approval, allocated Rs. 1044.47 Cr. for mandatory activities, including plantation maintenance, compensatory afforestation, implementation of Regional Wildlife Management Plan, site-specific wildlife projects, bamboo regeneration, forest protection, fire prevention, wildlife management, Ama Jangal Yojana, infrastructure, research, capacity building, and more.

Chief Secretary Jena stressed the importance of assessing the impact of plantation management on groundwater recharge and soil erosion prevention during and after ten years. He emphasized the need for planned and sustainable plantation designs, involving local communities and Vana Surakhya Samities in forest fire protection.

Additionally, Chief Secretary Jena suggested organizing training programs for drivers responsible for tourist transportation to Biosphere Reserves and similar forest areas to promote responsible travel and environmental conservation.