Phulbani: The Forest department is pumping crores of rupees in plantation drives in forested areas, but in many cases, the exercise has allegedly become futile in Phulbani range of Kandhamal district due to irregularities and lack of post-plantation care, reports said.
It was alleged that funds to the tune of crores have been misappropriated in the name of afforestation /forest regeneration in many blocks of Kandhamal district.
Here is a case in point. Under MGNREGS, a massive plantation drive was undertaken in Ganjuguda panchayat under this range in 2021-22 fiscal.
The forest department planted 10,000 saplings of different species on a patch of 50 hectare of land near Baida village by spending Rs 8.59 lakh. An information plaque was set up near the project, stating that Rs 7.72 lakh was spent towards wages of the job card holders while Rs 87,000 was spent for sapling purchase.
In fact, no one is sure how many saplings were planted on the 50-hectare patch. Locals are very skeptical of the official information, given the present miserable condition of the plantation on the land. Only a few dry plants are found standing on the land, locals lamented.
Locals sought to know why the department planted saplings of khau, jackfruit, sishu, jamun and barada species inside a sal forest.
It was alleged that some people had been engaged to take care of the saplings, but the latter have died.
Same is the situation at many places under this range.
When asked about it, forester Monalisha Panda said that funds for sapling maintenance were provided up to December, 2021. “Fund was spent on weed cleaning, pit digging and re-plantation in places of dead trees. After December, 2021, no fund has been provided for post-plantation care. A proposal has been sent to the DRDA for post-plantation care of the saplings,” Panda said.
The plantation sites will be inspected, said Phulbani DFO Prashant Kumar Patel.
PNN