Bhubaneswar: Extensive tree plantation remains the most sustainable solution to combat climate change and rising heat waves, and development and environmental conservation are complementary rather than conflicting goals, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Tuesday.Addressing the state-level 77th Van Mahotsav celebrations at Kapileswar here, Majhi said Odisha has emerged as one of the country’s leading states in forest conservation and green belt creation. The state added 558 sq km of forest and tree cover over the last two years, securing the third position nationally, he said.The chief minister highlighted the govt’s flagship Green Mahanadi Mission, under which a 1.5-km-wide green corridor is being developed along the banks of major rivers including the Mahanadi, Tel, Ib, Brahmani, Rushikulya, Baitarani and Vansadhara to improve ecological sustainability and help maintain perennial river flow.Under the mission, 5.65 lakh saplings were planted across 774 hectares during 2025-26, while the govt has set a target of planting nearly nine lakh saplings over 2,702 hectares in 2026-27. Through the Expanded Green Belt Scheme, more than 15.93 lakh saplings will be planted over 358 hectares this year. To address urban pollution, the state aims to plant around 6.95 lakh saplings in urban areas during the current year, Majhi said.He also outlined other major afforestation and conservation initiatives. Under the CAMPA scheme, plantation activities have been planned over more than 20,562 hectares of forest land in the coming year. The Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project-II (OFSDP-II), supported by a Japanese international agency, is engaging 1,210 forest protection committees in forest management and conservation efforts.For coastal ecosystem protection, Odisha is developing 89 hectares of mangrove forests under the Centre’s MISHTI scheme, while 2,405 hectares of saline forest are being restored under the ECRICC programme. As part of measures to reduce lightning-related risks, the state planted 17.9 lakh palm saplings in the previous financial year, he said.Praising public participation in environmental campaigns, the chief minister said people across Odisha transformed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative into a mass movement. He said 1.49 crore saplings were planted across the state in a single day on the Prime Minister’s birthday last year, and data related to 8.12 crore plantations were uploaded to the Meri Life portal. The Govt of India has set a target of planting 3.76 crore saplings in Odisha this year, he added.Speaking on the occasion, Forest, Environment and Climate Change minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia stressed the need for greater public participation in afforestation efforts, saying forest conservation cannot be achieved through govt initiatives alone and requires active involvement of citizens and community organisations.