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Time of India
04-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
BMC to plant 35,000 saplings across city
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In a bid to boost green cover, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently launched an avenue plantation, targeting the planting of 35,000 saplings across 265 identified locations in the city. The civic body has already dug pits at these sites. "We have dug the pits and started planting saplings in areas like Ashok Nagar, Janpath, Master Canteen, and Hatiasuni new road near the Salia Sahi slum, where green cover is sparse," said BMC deputy commissioner Kajal Pradhan. According to a report by iForest, a private organisation, Salia Sahi — comprising wards 20, 21, and 26 — has the least green cover in the city. Five other wards (27, 38, 41, 57, and 61) also fall short of the WHO-recommended green cover per person. BMC has sourced trees resilient to wind and cyclones from forest department nurseries. Salia Sahi experiences extreme heat due to factors such as corrugated sheet roofs and low vegetation, the report said. The civic body aims to ensure a 5:1 survival ratio — five saplings surviving for every one lost over the next five years. Last year, the BMC introduced Miyawaki plantations at five sites and recorded an 80% survival rate. "Heat reduction measures are underway, and we plan to introduce the green roof concept in the city, though a strategy is still being developed," said a BMC environment officer. The Miyawaki method involves planting herbs, shrubs, and trees in dense clusters, with less than one foot between plants, to create quick green cover.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Plantation drive planned after survey flags green concerns
1 2 Bhubaneswar: To increase the green cover and meet World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommendation of nine square metres per capita, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has drawn up a plan for a plantation initiative in and around the city's biggest slum, Salia Sahi. This area is recognised as a high extreme heat risk zone by iForest, an international organisation working on environmental issues. "We have made arrangements to start the plantation drive during monsoon. The locations have been selected and pits will be dug soon. Trees that can withstand wind and cyclones will be planted. We have selected species such as harida, ashoka, neem, radhachuda and krushnachuda. The saplings will be procured soon. Dedicated personnel will also be deployed for maintenance in subsequent years," BMC deputy commissioner (environment) Kajal Pradhan said. iForest conducted a survey in all 67 wards for heat mapping, factors affecting it and for evaluating green coverage. Salia Sahi, comprising Ward Nos. 20, 21 and 26, has the least amount of green cover, while five more wards do not meet the WHO-recommended standard of green cover per person.
