Kendrapara: Since Odisha experiences cyclones on a regular basis, the state government had finalised a plan to create mangrove forests on the coastlines of the most frequently-hit districts. However, years have gone by, but the plan remains on pen and paper only. This district is one of the worst sufferers due to cyclones. The year 2021 was particularly bad for this district. Amid the Covid19 wave, Kendrapara district was ravaged by three cyclones in the same year – namely ‘Yaas’ (in May), ‘Gulab’ (in September) and ‘Jawad’ (in December). Earlier, the district had been impacted by cyclonic storms ‘Phailin’, ‘Hudhud’, ‘Titili’, ‘Fani’ and ‘Amphan’.
However, to some extent, the damage was not extravagant, due to the presence of mangrove forests on the district’s coastline. Realising the importance of mangrove forest in limiting the damage caused by cyclones, the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department decided to create one on 400 hectare of land along the coastline.
A decision to plant 3,500 saplings was taken after cyclonic storm ‘Yaas’. It should be stated here that mangroves are also helpful in preventing soil erosion. The Odisha government even launched the ‘Green Mahanadi Mission’ in 2018. The project aimed at plantation of mangrove saplings along the banks of the rivers in the Mahanadi basin.
However, except for putting the plans on paper, nothing concrete has materialised so far. As a result, tidal waves continue to erode the coastlines at a fast rate. Some of the islands like Nasi, Havelikhati, Babubali and Ekakula are on the verge of extinction due to erosion. The geo-synthetic tube wall built on Pentha coast to check coastal erosion has also not been successful. Environmentalists like Hemant Kumar Rout and Ashok Kumar Swain pointed out that cyclonic storms have become a regular occurrence every year. They said that the way the district administration carries out relief work should show the same promptness in creating mangrove forests along the coastline. Only then calamities like cyclones can be prevented and damages limited.
The environmentalists pointed out that Kendrapara district has a lengthy coastline and is home to several rivers and so it is always vulnerable to natural calamities. They added that nothing has been done to create mangrove forests along the coastline. The Green Mahanadi Mission was launched for the plantation of over five crore saplings in 41,000 spots along the Mahanadi, Ib, and Tel river banks. The environmentalists said five years have elapsed since the launch of the project but the district administration is yet to identify land for the purpose. Locals also pointed out that mushrooming of illegal prawn gheris and encroachments has led to the destruction of some of the existing mangrove forests. When contacted, ADM Pitambar Samal said the district administration along with Forest and Panchayatiraj departments is laying stress on the plantation of mangrove saplings and are trying to expedite the process.
