Odisha to Bolster Coastal Defense with Mangrove Plantation

The Odisha Forest department will plant 15,000 mangrove saplings in coastal Ganjam to mitigate cyclone impacts and curb soil erosion. This UNDP-funded project aims to enhance climate resilience across four coastal blocks, collaborating with multiple departments to benefit local fishing communities and safeguard endangered Olive ridley turtles.

The Odisha Forest department is set to embark on a significant mangrove plantation initiative in Ganjam district, officials announced on Wednesday. With the planting of approximately 15,000 mangrove saplings across a six-hectare area in Purunabandh, near the river Rushikulya, the project aims to mitigate the impact of cyclones and curb soil erosion.

Funded by the UNDP's Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, the effort, led by Divisional Forest Officer Sunny Khokkar, will cover four coastal blocks, including Chikiti, Rangeilunda, Khallikote, and Ganjam. The project, estimated to cost Rs 33 crore, is designed to primarily benefit the local fishing community and enhance overall climate resilience.

Khokkar highlighted the importance of interdepartmental collaboration in implementing the project, stressing the roles of agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, animal resources development, and watershed management departments. Experts have long advocated for such plantations in flood and cyclone-prone Ganjam, noting that mangroves serve as natural barriers during extreme weather events. Plans are in place to trial the plantation in saline zones near Purunabandh while ensuring no disruption to the nesting Olive ridley turtles. The turtles, though absent this year, habitually nest in large numbers near the village.

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