Bhubaneswar: Climate change poses growing challenges worldwide, with its impact hitting home in Odisha, where cyclones and other disasters have affected millions of lives and impacted state’s green cover.
To enhance the green drive, a group of boys from Cuttack, led by Bikash Ranjan Mohanty, have embarked on a mission to transform barren lands into lush green pockets since 2017. Their journey began in the small locality of Bramhasialo, under Kantapada block, where Mohanty founded a club named Bhubaneswari.
Launched on Aug 15, 2017, the initiative by Mohanty and his team started with just 10 members. Today, their numbers have swelled to over 70, inspired by the success and recognition received from various quarters. The group has created seven forests, spanning eight acres of unused land.
Secretary of the club, Abhijit Patnaik, said, “Back-to-back cyclones have impacted our locality significantly. We realised the need for immediate action, and that’s how our green drive began.”
Their first milestone was planting trees along a 1-km stretch of road in their locality. Over the years, they expanded their efforts, planting more than 10,000 trees in areas like Balikhama Padia and other neglected spaces, all without govt or private assistance.
The trees planted by the group aren’t just ordinary saplings — they are chosen for their resilience against cyclones. One of the forests is dedicated exclusively to fruit-bearing trees for children, while others feature hundreds of banyan and neem trees along pond embankments.
This year, the group collected and planted over 1,000 palm seeds, which act as natural protectors against lightning strikes.
Bikash emphasises that planting trees is only the beginning. “The main task lies in their protection and maintenance,” he said. The club has set up a social media group to monitor tree growth, encouraging members to remain actively involved.
The members also organise awareness programmes on environmental protection, focusing on the restoration of water bodies and sustainable living. Next year, they plan to establish a medicinal garden in their locality.