Natural Resources Management & Climate Action

Our Commitment to Greening Odisha

At Kalinga Kusum Foundation (KKF), we are deeply committed to ecological restoration and sustainable land management. Our expertise in large-scale plantation and ecosystem revitalization has positioned us as a key player in Odisha’s green transformation journey.

One of our flagship initiatives is the development and operation of our own dedicated nursery, which nurtures over 30,000 forest and fruit saplings. This nursery is a critical backbone for our ongoing 400-acre lake rejuvenation project in Cuttack district—an ambitious effort aimed at restoring natural water bodies, enhancing biodiversity, and improving local climate resilience.

A Proven Track Record in Plantation Initiatives, our past work reflects our ability to manage large-scale, long-term ecological restoration initiatives. While KKF as an organization has yet to undertake large scale plantation in millions of numbers of saplings, its trustees and full-time team members bring substantial experience from their previous roles in various reputed institutions in doing that. Collectively, they have successfully led and implemented large-scale plantation drives across Odisha and beyond, demonstrating their capacity to manage ambitious environmental initiatives with scale and impact. Between 2007 and 2010, our Managing Trustee, Mr. Dibya Chand Shukla, oversaw the plantation of over 550,000 forest species in Koraput district under the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project. Similarly, our trustee & proposed lead for this project, Mr. Sanjit Kumar Behera, led the plantation of over one million saplings during his tenure with Community Based Rain Water Harvesting Project (CBRWH) supported by UNDP in 275 remote villages—years before digitization and real-time monitoring became available.

Our team also includes domain leaders such as Dr. Nigamananda Swain, Ph.D. in Agriculture, with international experience across South Asia and the Middle East, and Shri Atish Behera, a retired Indian Forest Service officer with expertise in agroforestry, climate adaptation, and policy. Shri Girija Bhusan Satpathy, M.Sc. in Horticulture, has extensive experience in promoting horticulture across various districts of the state through his service in the government sector. Collectively, our team has contributed to over fifteen million plantations through direct implementation and partnership efforts.

Through such efforts, KKF is not just planting trees—we are planting hope for a greener, healthier future for communities and ecosystems alike.

Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Impact

In addition to its in-house capabilities, Kalinga Kusum Foundation (KKF) collaborates with Shakti Nursery in Tangi-Chaudwar—one of the largest and most diverse nurseries in the region. Shakti Nursery maintains an impressive stock of over 10 million saplings, representing 40–50 varieties of fruit-bearing, forest, and ornamental species.

Beyond supplying high-quality planting material, the nursery also functions as a field training centre for ground staff and field teams involved in plantation projects. This partnership enables KKF to scale up its greening initiatives efficiently while ensuring that all on-ground personnel are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Expanding Green Cover Through Targeted Plantation Drives

In just the current year, Kalinga Kusum Foundation (KKF) has made significant strides in enhancing green infrastructure across rural and semi-urban landscapes. One of our key achievements includes the successful execution of avenue plantations along more than 4 kilometres of roads, transforming barren or underutilized roadside spaces into lush, green corridors. These efforts not only beautify the environment but also contribute to reducing dust, regulating temperature, and improving air quality in the region.

Additionally, KKF has undertaken bund plantations involving over 6,000 saplings, focusing on embankments and field boundaries to stabilize soil, prevent erosion, and promote biodiversity. These strategic plantation activities are aligned with our broader mission of fostering climate resilience and environmental stewardship at the grassroots level.

KKF also organizes Mega Plantation Drives annually in schools and colleges across different parts of the state, engaging school children, youth, and influential individuals to raise awareness about climate change and promote tree plantation.

Championing Mangrove Conservation and Community Awareness

As part of its commitment to coastal ecosystem restoration, Kalinga Kusum Foundation (KKF) has been actively partnering with the Gahirmatha Marine Turtle Protection and Mangrove Conservation Society of Paradeep, Jagatsinghpur district. Through this collaboration, KKF has established a dedicated Mangrove Nursery at Barahpur in Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district —a critical step toward the long-term protection and regeneration of fragile coastal habitats that are home to diverse marine life, including the endangered Olive Ridley turtles.

Expanding its impact further, KKF has extended its mangrove promotion efforts to Bijaynagar village in Mahakalpada block, where it works closely with local communities to integrate mangrove-based ecological practices into their livelihoods and daily life.

Beyond field interventions, KKF places strong emphasis on community engagement and youth awareness. Over the past several years, the organization has conducted extensive educational programs in schools and colleges across Kendrapara district, instilling environmental consciousness among students and young leaders.

KKF’s enduring contributions to mangrove conservation and public mobilization are regularly recognized in the widely circulated book “Hentala”—a publication by respected local social workers. This work documents stories of environmental stewardship and prominently features KKF’s role in promoting community-led conservation efforts along Odisha’s vulnerable coastal belt.

Sustainable Lake Rejuvenation Initiative by KKF – Gayalbanka Lake

As part of our commitment to ecological sustainability and community development, KKF is undertaking a comprehensive rejuvenation of Gayalbanka Pata, a 100-acre lake located under the Bhagipur Gram Panchayat of Banki-Dampada Panchayat Samiti.

Key Interventions:

Lake Restoration:
We will implement dredging and desilting measures in the lake area while carefully maintaining the water storage level to enhance its ecological balance.
Catchment Area Development:
Around 160 hectares of catchment area will be treated through plantation and trenching to reduce future siltation and improve watershed health.
Landscape and Recreational Development:
We plan to develop the lake surroundings into an environmentally conscious recreational zone, offering green spaces and opportunities for community engagement.

Expected Outcomes:

Enhanced groundwater recharge and availability
Promotion of fish farming as a sustainable livelihood option
Support for agricultural irrigation in the surrounding farmlands
Development of eco-recreational facilities for community well-being
Establishment of an Agri-Eco Tourism Centre to promote sustainable tourism
Strengthening of local biodiversity and environmental resilience

Sustainable Livelihood and Gender Inclusion:

We aim to ensure the longevity of this initiative by converging with other government schemes such as MKUY (via APICOL). This includes:

Supporting the development of a women-led agribusiness enterprise
Training and engaging local women in hospitality and tourism services
Building community capacity to sustain the project beyond its implementation phase

This initiative reflects our holistic approach to environmental stewardship, livelihood promotion, and inclusive development. Through this collaborative effort, Gayalbanka Pata will serve as a model for sustainable lake management and rural revitalization.

Sustainable Energy Plantation in Partnership with Reliance Bio-Energy

This initiative aims to transform the agricultural landscape by encouraging farmers to diversify beyond traditional paddy cultivation and adopt an agroforestry model where Super Napier is grown as an intercropped species. Super Napier is a high-yield, fast-growing grass ideal for bio-energy production due to its robust biomass potential.

Through focused community mobilization and capacity-building efforts, KKF has successfully brought together farmer groups to transition to this climate-resilient and economically viable model. As of now, over 300 acres have been brought under Super Napier cultivation in Dhenkanal, with regular harvesting supporting the operational needs of the bio-energy plant.

Looking ahead, KKF plans to scale the project to over 1,000 acres in Dhenkanal alone by the end of this year. Encouraged by the success of this partnership, we are also exploring opportunities to replicate this model at other upcoming Reliance bio-energy facilities across Odisha, thereby expanding both the geographic footprint and socio-economic impact of the program.

From the 2025–26 fiscal year onward, the project is expected to generate an impressive annual biomass yield of approximately 1.2 lakh tons, significantly contributing to the state’s renewable energy goals while enhancing the incomes and resilience of participating farmers.

This initiative stands as a testament to KKF’s commitment to green energy, sustainable livelihoods, and innovative public-private partnerships that drive real change on the ground.

Climate Advocacy

KKF partnered with Nature Care Initiative, New Delhi to organise the “Climate Change & Developing Resilience in Odisha” Summit in Bhubaneswar in Oct 2022 where PRI members, Corporates, Academicians, CSOs participated to discuss the realities of climate change.

Promoting Renewable Energy in Remote Villages

Kalinga Kusum Foundation (KKF) has been actively promoting renewable energy by installing solar-powered street lights in over 100 villages across the Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha. This initiative is a significant step toward reducing dependence on conventional energy sources, lowering carbon emissions, and fostering environmental sustainability.

By harnessing solar energy, KKF is not only encouraging the use of clean and green energy but also ensuring energy access in remote tribal and rural communities. The solar street lights have improved safety, extended productive hours after dark, and enhanced the quality of life in these underserved areas.

This effort aligns with national and global goals of transitioning to renewable energy and building climate-resilient communities.