Odisha to plant mangroves in coastal village to mitigate cyclone impacts, arrest soil erosion

Berhampur: Odisha Forest department will plant mangroves in a coastal village in Ganjam district to mitigate cyclone impacts and curb soil erosion, officials said on Wednesday.

The plantation drive will be taken up at Purunabandh, a village located near the mouth of river Rushikulya under Khallikote range of Berhampur forest division.

Approximately 15,000 mangrove saplings will be planted across a six-hectare area near the village under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-funded Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, Sunny Khokkar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur and the project’s nodal officer, said.

The project, costing an estimated Rs 33 crore, aims to enhance climate resilience across 33 panchayats in four coastal blocks - Chikiti, Rangeilunda, Khallikote, and Ganjam, primarily benefiting the fishing community.

Collaboration among various departments including agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, animal resources development, and watershed management is pivotal for its implementation, Khokkar emphasised.

Experts have advocated for mangrove plantation in coastal Ganjam, identified as vulnerable to floods and cyclones.

Mangrove forests serve as natural barriers during cyclonic events, they noted. Ganjam district faced severe impacts from cyclones Phailin in 2013 and Titli in 2018.

The DFO outlined plans to conduct mangrove plantation on a trial basis in saline zones along the riverside near Purunabandh, ensuring it does not disrupt the mass nesting of Olive ridley turtles. These endangered turtles annually flock in large numbers near the village for mass nesting, although they did not arrive this year.

A mangrove nursery has been set up near Purunabandh to facilitate the plantation. According to the Forest Survey of India-2021, Odisha's mangrove cover spans approximately 259 square kilometres, spanning across five coastal districts- Kendrapara, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri.