Bhubaneswar, March 21 -- Odisha has recorded an increase of 558 square kilometres in forest and tree cover in the last two years emerging as a frontrunner in forest protection and green cover creation in India, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi claimed on Saturday.
The State's success in forest protection has been made possible due to improved forest management practices, large-scale plantation drives, and public awareness initiatives, Majhi said while addressing the state-level World Forest Day-2026 function here today.
Currently, State's forest and tree cover constitute 37.63% of the state's total geographical area, covering 58,597 square kilometres.
Highlighting plantation efforts, he noted that under the Prime Minister's campaign 'Ek...