Bhubaneswar, July 1: Are you rashly devastating palm trees or palm groves, sky-touching in and around your periphery? If yes, stop it right now as a palm tree not only contributes to the environment but also stands as a saviour for men and animals during lightning. It absorbs greater shocks of lightning strokes during hurricane and summer rain.
Having concern over escalating thunder-storms and lightning-related death, the Odisha Forest Department on Monday clamped restrictions on felling of palm trees or destroying home-grown palm groves for homestead or industial purposes.
Underlining the resistance of palm trees to lightning and thunderstorms, Principal Conservator of Forest Debidutta Biswal said, no one can cut down palm trees even from private lands without prier permission of the forest department. Offenders will be liable for stricter action by the forest department as for forest laws.
Elaborating the future roadmap of the department, Biswal said that a large scale palm plantation in forest and barren lands will be taken up across the state so as to put a green shield to minimise the jolt of lightning.
A roadmap has been prepared by the department to plant at least 19 lakh palm trees in this year, at a cost of Rs 7.5 crore, Biswal added.
