Jajpur: Odisha’s 575-km coastline is highly vulnerable to various natural calamities like floods and cyclones.
It has witnessed repeated devastation over the past seven years from major cyclones, including Titli in 2018, Fani in 2019, Amphan in 2020, Yaas and Jawad in 2021, and Dana in 2024.
These cyclones have caused widespread damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, and ecosystems, while traditional defences such as embankments and sea dykes have suffered severe damage.
With conventional measures proving inadequate, the state Water Resources department has drawn up a new plan to restore ecological balance and reduce cyclone impact through large-scale plantation drives.
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At an emergency meeting held December 20, 2024, the department had decided to plant tropical mangrove and casuarina saplings along the vulnerable coastline of the state.
In this backdrop, Subrat Kumar Nayak, Additional Secretary, state Water Resources department, has instructed senior scientists of the state Forest, Environment, and Climate Change department to take necessary steps, August 6, 2025.
According to the department, mangrove forests act as natural shields against high winds and tidal surges, absorbing storm energy and reducing wave height.
They also help control coastal erosion, recharge groundwater, enhance biodiversity, and provide livelihood opportunities such as fishing, honey collection, and animal husbandry. Moreover, plantations support the conservation of wetlands like Bhitarkanika National Park and Chilika, absorb excess rainfall, and mitigate flood peaks
. The initiative is also expected to curb saltwater intrusion and storm surges, as well as water conservation and recharge of groundwater.
Officials noted that adequate financial resources will be required, and the Revenue Department will survey suitable land for the plantation drives.
Funds for such plantation drives can be sourced from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund, officials said.
In this regard, the managing director of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) was asked to provide feedback on planting mangrove saplings along the Odisha coast, stretching from the West Bengal border in the north to the Andhra Pradesh border in the south.
The OFDC chief informed that mangroves can only grow in tidal and saline water zones, while casuarinas are suitable for sandy soil across the coastal belt.
He added that casuarinas should generally be planted during the monsoon season, whereas mangroves can be planted year-round.
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The chief engineer of the Water Resources department highlighted various structural measures the department has undertaken to reduce coastal erosion.
Officials of the Revenue department will conduct a joint survey across the Odisha coast to identify suitable land for planting palm and casuarinas.
The OFDC will prepare a uniform format for all divisions to record details of available land, suitability for plantation, type of plantation proposed, and funds required.
The chief engineer said the survey will also identify which departments will carry out plantation activities in specific areas.
PNN