Keonjhar: An afforestation project aimed at reviving and creating sal forests in various parts of mineral-rich Keonjhar district has been lying in utter neglect, said sources.
Keonjhar was once rich in sal forests but over the years many sal forests have vanished while several others are depleting due to timber smuggling, rampant mining and lack of maintenance by the Forest department.
Now, unwanted herbs and shrubs have grown in the forest land allocated for sal plantation. Locals fear a few sal trees that are left in the forests might get burnt while people clean their fields by setting the unwanted herbs on fire.
Meanwhile, a few forest officials were seen cleaning the unwanted trees as the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) is due to visit Keonjhar to oversee the sal plantation project.
“They are doing it just to save their jobs,” locals said condemning such act of the officials.
According to sources, the Forest department had prepared a blueprint to grow sal forests by setting up nurseries. At least 9,600 sal saplings were grown on six hectares of forest land in 2021-22.
As per the project, the Forest department raised saplings through nurseries and then the saplings were transplanted on the forest land. Sal trees are valuable and they grow in natural settings.
Sal seeds also germinate naturally and grow faster. However, most of the sal saplings died due to lack of maintenance and proper care, locals alleged.
While locals had appreciated the project idea and the effort of the Forest department in generating sal forests and were hopeful of its success, negligence by some officials ruined the entire project.
At least 80,000 sal saplings were raised at nurseries in Padmapur, Belda and other areas. However, most of the saplings have died leaving crores of rupees down the drain.
Now, since the PCCF is likely to visit the areas, forest officials are on their toes to save their jobs, angry locals complained and demanded strict action in this regard.
PNN