TTDB and Tata Steel initiate massive plantation drive at Tara Tarini Hill Shrine

• The project is unique of its kind in the country where a Shrine Board has taken up issues of environment on a massive scale
• Tata Steel has come forward to support the plantation drive in and around the hill shrine
• More than half-million fruit bearing tress are to be planted over a period of five years under the project
• TTDB has already taken a number of such initiatives in the past to improve the green cover and to protect the environment of the area
• Recently it announced to introduce Solar lighting system in the Hill Shrine with assistance from the Central Government.

In continuation of its social initiatives, The Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) started a massive afforestation drive in collaboration with the Tata Steel, in and around the holy Tara Tarini Hill Shrine near Berhampur city in Odisha. The Tata Steel has come forward to support the afforestation programme in the hill shrine and has offered to plant around half-million fruit bearing tress over a period of five years around the hill shrine area besides taking care of the trees. This initiative has been welcomed by the people for being a first of its kind initiative taken by a Shrine Board in collaboration with a private sector company.

The Chairman TTDB and Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Southern Division Odisha Shri LN Nayak and Tata Steel Odisha Chief Resident Executive Shri Sushanta Kumar Mishra jointly started this programme on 17 July by planting trees in the foothill area of the Shrine. Tata Steel Gopalpur plant heads Shri AK Mohapatra and Shri SK Singh, Senior Manager Tata Steel Shri SS Routray, Secretary TTDB Shri Pramod Kumar Panda, office bearers of Tara Tarini Development Board and senior officials of Government of Odisha and district administration were also present on this occasion.

Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) has taken a number of such initiatives in recent times to improve the green cover and protect the environment of the holy shrine. Recently introduction of Solar lighting system in the entire Hill Shrine area has been taken up by TTDB with assistance from the Central Government.

Following the afforestation programme, a meeting of the office bearers of the Development Board was held under the Chairmanship of Shri LN Nayak, Chairman TTDB. On this occasion, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Smt. Renubala Pradhan announced to contribute required fund from her MPLAD to construct a rest-shed to accommodate large number of visitors and a market complex on the Hilltop. To protect the Hill top area, it was also decided to construct embankments on both the north and south side of the Hilltop. The Rural Development Department, Government of Odisha, agreed to prepare the master plan for it. To protect the natural beauty of the Hilltop, architect Prabir Dash gave a number of proposals on this occasion. Similarly, Shri Durga Prasad tabled a master plan to execute the various developmental projects proposed by the TTDB, and it was sent to the Technical Committee of TTDB to further examine the master plan.