A small plantation area christened Sarojini Vana (Sarojini Forest) gives the impression to passers-by that the authorities in Odisha’s Bonai Forest Division are perhaps great admirers of freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. But that’s not the case. Their tribute is to Sarojini Mohanta, 42, a homegrown changemaker who has hardly stepped out of the State’s boundary. Hired for a daily wage of ₹315 as a watcher, this Sarojini has gone beyond the call of duty to create a forest on a denuded patch of land in just two years.
“When the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Sisir Ratho, recently came for an inspection to Bonai, he was left dazed that the woman’s dedication led to the survival of 95% of saplings planted in four acres of land. The PCCF suggested naming the plantation area after her. That’s how the Sarojini Vana came into being,” Sanath Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bonai, said.
Bonai is a mining affected region in the State. The Forest Division received funds under the District Mineral Foundation programme to raise a small forest on the denuded patch and went ahead with the afforestation programme as a part of its routine work. Ms. Mohanta was deployed to look after the plantation area.
