Tamil Nadu   

Plan to raise mangrove forests in coastal areas

NAGERCOIL: The issue of raising mangrove forests in the coastal areas of the district, particularly in Manakudi estuary, with an intention to minimise nature’s fury in the future was discussed here recently.

Presiding over a meeting, attended by officials, members of non-governmental organisation and Green Coast, District Forest Officer Sundarajan said the 2004 tsunami reiterated the importance of erecting barriers to reduce the damage caused by natural calamities. The coastal population had demanded structures that would protect them in such situations.

While different types of man-made barriers were considered, natural variety such as mangrove forests emerged as a sensible choice. The forests not only helped in situations such as tsunami or cyclone, but also in reducing soil erosion.

As they provided a haven for fish and shrimp larvae to breed, increase in their stock helped the fishing community. Random sampling over the last one year by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT), a non-governmental organisation based at Nagercoil, indicated that 5,000 kg of fish and shrimp were harvested from the estuary.

Environmentalist Santhana Kumar said the beneficiaries could be classified into three categories: sea faring fishermen, backwater fishermen and coir industry workers. The mangrove restoration project by Green Coast helped CAT to spread awareness among the people on the importance of bio-shelters.

The nursery, where Rizhophora and Avicenia saplings were being raised, provided an alternative source of income for the communities. Women were involved in the raising, while planting and monitoring of saplings in the estuary were primarily executed by men.

Previous experience in the estuarine area showed that the presence of mangroves helped in the growth of shrimp and fish stock. The communities witnessed the phenomenon.

In addition to the planting of mangroves, treatment of effluence from coir retting industry was done at an experimental level. Use of low-cost technology, called reed bed treatment, to treat effluence benefited the backwater fishing communities with healthy catch. An income generation programme aimed at women labourers in the coir retting industry was being explored.

CAT chairman A.M. Selvaraj said the centre had a team of qualified scientists. Implementation of laboratory findings required effort and money. Green Coast helped with monetary assistance and, hence, the space to explore new arenas. For example, in the mangrove restoration exercise the saplings were planted using the ‘encasement’ method.

A cylindrical earthen pot holds the saplings and soil within its fold. This method prevents the soil from being eroded by the tidal currents.

It also helped them to retain a microclimate essential for the sapling to survive during low tide situations and, in some cases, temporary drought.

Traditionally, fishing and associated activities were the only source of livelihood for the fishing communities. They remained idle during off-seasons.

Effort were on to involve self-help groups, youth clubs and interested individuals in mangrove restoration and protection of planted areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

What next, Mr. John Vijay?
MNCs steal the show
Development works in Karur get a boost
Informative
Army recruitment
‘93 per cent of property offence cases detected in Krishnagiri district’
Creative work
Four suspended
2 killed in accident
‘Parvettai vizha’ on January 16
Jaggery units having a taste of loss
Protest against erratic water supply
Army recruitment rally
River basins to be developed in Theni
Student commits suicide
A Tamil Festival
Thico Silks
Maya Appliances (P) Limited
Prakash Textiles – Colour Pluss
Results on the spot at High Court
Survey under way for exclusive freight corridor
Rs.25 lakh sanctioned to Ariyalur for relief works
Plan to raise mangrove forests in coastal areas
Major fire at CPCL’s crude oil jetty
Laboratories, women college hostel planned
Hindu Munnani cadres held
Job scheme to start in April
“Auto Nagar” to become operational from April
Rs. 1.82 cr. allocated for town panchayat
Forum for eight-hour shift
Pongal to be made New Year day
Create awareness of preventable diseases: Poongothai
Mystery shrouds power cable cutting
Municipal chairman’s plea to Collector
Distance education wing fills Madurai Kamaraj University coffers
“Ban export of cotton”
Coach your wards in history
University results published
“State must crack down on extremism”
Discussion on harvest festivals
Mettur level
Cracking property cases Law & order
Complexities of suspicious deaths Law & order
Question banks
A mischief that calls for action Law and order
To the rescue of consumers Law & order
Felicitation
For outstanding contribution
Government Adi Dravidar School in dire need of compound wall
Special audit training programme concludes
200 Jamaath members held in Tiruchi
Old man held for selling arrack
Writ appeal in disinvestment case closed
First batch of Haj pilgrims arrives
MDMK workers observe fast
“Across-the-board reduction alone will bring down cement prices”
Revised IT policy to project State as prime investment destination
Railway reservation centre timings
Bonus for Aavin workers
Two ADGPs promted
Central teams take stock of rain damage
Department of Posts to mechanise sorting system
Advocates protest against Modi’s visit
School, college buses may have to sport sky blue colour

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu