Bhubaneswar/Kendrapada: Mangrove forests, except for their importance in climate change crisis mitigation, had never been as much discussed as now. From the moment the IMD declared Bhitarkanika of Kendrapara and Dhamra of Bhadrak in Odisha, as the possible landfall route, the mangrove forests are being looked up as a shield which have the capacity to protect both humans and wildlife from possible devastation. Spread over 200 square kilometers in Bhitarkanika, these stretches have since long been serving as natural barrier against cyclones, tidal surges, and other coastal disasters.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda on Wednesday said the mangrove forests would certainly prove a barrier for the tidal surge from affecting the human habitations and animals in the sanctuary. “The mangrove forest will absorb much of the cyclone’s energy, lowering wind speeds and preventing severe tidal surges from impacting coastal lands,” Nanda said.
During the past cyclones the state has faced, particularly the 1999 super cyclone, mangrove forests certainly played an important role in reducing the damage to a large extent.
As per a Research Gate paper on Mangroves of Odisha, these swampy forests occupy 213 sq km and are distributed across Mahanadi Delta, Brahmani and Baitarani Delta, i.e. Bhitarkanika Mangrove, Balasore coast, five districts - Baleshwar (2 sq km), Bhadrak (21 sq km), Jagatsinghpur (7 sq km), Kendrapara (183 sq km) and Puri (0 sq km).
Experts say mangrove roots can break up the force of a storm surge, soaking up some of its energy and protecting people living on coasts from tidal waves and tropical cyclones.
The Official Website of PCCF (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Odisha states "Mangroves are salt tolerant plant species found in the inter-tidal regions along the creeks and estuaries near the coast, on the river mouth. They play a very significant role in protecting the hinterland against (i) cyclones and (ii) the ingress of sea water during tidal surge. Mangroves stabilize coastal land mass against sea erosion. They are repositories of immense biological diversity and are also the nursery and breeding ground of several marine life forms, such as species of prawns, crabs, fishes and molluscs. Mangroves sustain the ecological security of the coastal areas as well as livelihood security of the thousands of fisherman and other who leave in these areas."
However the mangrove belt faces threats from climate change, industrial development, and encroachments. Recognizing this, the Union Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Geology had allocated grants for its preservation. An MoU was also signed between Odisha’s Department of Water Resources and the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) to strengthen salt dams and improve coastal resilience. As Kendrapara braces for the cyclone’s impact, the Mangrove forests are being looked up to as the district’s first line of defense, just as it has done in all these years.
