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Step towards improving green cover

Staff Reporter

BDA to make it a must to plant at least five trees if plans were to be approved

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Hope in the air: Removal of big trees will soon be a thing of the past with BDA embarking on green drive. —

BERHAMPUR: Persons opting for new constructions in the city, Gopalpur and Chatrapur will now have to plant at least five trees on their plot to get their plan approved by the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA).

The BDA has proposed to bring in a new norm that makes planting of trees mandatory for construction of new houses in its jurisdiction. Dearth of green cover has started worrying the city planners, says BDA chairperson Sarat Ranjan Patnaik.

A meeting was held at the BDA office on Tuesday to chalk out plans for taking up large-scale plantations in the city. It was attended by officials, assistant conservator of forests Manoranjan Patnaik and assistant executive officer of the Berhampur municipality P.C. Pradhan.

It was decided to choose saplings of trees that were suitable to availability of space in areas inside the city and plant them. Initially, these plantations would be taken up at Gandhinagar, Bijipur-railway station road and Bijipur-Gosaninuagaon road. The city lost most of its green cover due to cyclones frequently hitting the area since 1992. The super cyclone of 1999 uprooted most of the big trees in the city and its periphery. Rapid urbanisation also made the city a concrete jungle.

Out of these trees, at least one would be shade bearing or fruit bearing one planted on the front side of the construction area. The remaining could be smaller ones planted in the backyard.

“This norm will also compel people to leave some open space around their constructions,” said Mr. Patnaik.

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