BMC launches major plantation drive in Patrapada

Bhubaneswar: Aiming to make Bhubaneswar cleaner, greener, and healthier, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Tuesday launched a major tree plantation drive in the Patrapada area.

Led by Mayor Sulochana Das and Commissioner Chanchal Rana, BMC plans to plant over 3,000 trees of various species at Maharaja Khela Padia (Raj Padia) within the Patrapada locality. This tree plantation initiative is part of BMC’s ongoing efforts to expand green zones and promote sustainability in the City.

Last year, BMC had planted over 8,000 trees of fruit-bearing, medicinal, ornamental, and evergreen species at the same location.

These trees have shown a 100 per cent survival rate and are now gradually developing into a small urban forest. Building on this success, BMC is now creating similar urban forests using the Miyawaki method in various locations, in collaboration with the City Forest Division.

At Tuesday’s launch, Mayor Sulochana Das and Commissioner Chanchal Rana were joined by Deputy Mayor Manjulata Kahur, City DFO Bishwaraj Panda, local corporators, senior BMC and Forest Department officials, residents, senior citizens, NGO volunteers, and members of women’s self-help groups.

As part of the Prime Minister’s call – ‘One Tree for My Mother’, the Mayor urged the public to plant trees in the name of their mothers. She further stated that BMC is committed to making Bhubaneswar a green, beautiful, and healthy City. Citizens were encouraged to actively participate in the initiative and plant trees in their nearby open spaces or backyards. Rana emphasised that if each citizen collaborates with BMC and the Forest department by planting and caring for trees around them, it would help reduce temperature and ensure cleaner air for all. Earlier, BMC had established a Miyawaki forest on 1.5 acres of government land in Ward No. 6, Sundarpada, Pokhariput area.

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