Odisha villagers pin hopes of mangrove saving them from cyclone Dana’s fury
The State Forest Department has in the meanwhile kept the national park out of bounds for tourists from 23 to 25 October in view of the cyclone warning.
The State Forest Department has in the meanwhile kept the national park out of bounds for tourists from 23 to 25 October in view of the cyclone warning.
In a unique move, several educational institutions have come forward to save the bank of river Hooghly by planting mangrove saplings.
Mangrove forests are one of the most vital and fascinating ecosystems on the planet. They occur worldwide in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving water allows fine sediments to accumulate; because they adapt to the low–oxygen condition of water logged mud.
India’s mangroves, particularly the Sundarbans, play a critical role in stabilising coastlines, supporting diverse species and mitigating climate change effects.
Odisha with a mangrove forest area of 231 square km stands second only to Sundarbans in West Bengal. Kendrapara, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts are home to mangrove, otherwise known as coastal woodland.
As per the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 released on Thursday, the mangrove forest area in Odisha has increased by 8 square kilometers in a three-year period spanning from 2019-2021. The State’s growth rate is the highest in the country. Odisha was followed by Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).
Dr Parida said that “availability of the genome sequence of mangrove species will trigger a wide range of molecular studies not only in India but throughout the world”.
The animal is accorded ‘protected’ status under wildlife legal provisions.
While 82 square Km area in Bhitarkanika is densely mangrove-infested while 95 square km area has moderate mangrove forest. 54 square km patches are sparsely covered under mangrove forest.
In 1999 when the super cyclone with much greater velocity than Amphan had its landfall in Odisha, the Bhitarkanika area was saved as the mangrove species withstood the onslaught of gusty wind.
