Bio-shield project along coastal areas inaugurated

THRISSUR: Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has said cultivation of mangroves should be one of the major features of coastal development.

He was addressing a meeting at Vadanappally, near here, on Monday to launch a project to develop a bio-shield for coastal protection under the Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme.

The two-year project, being implemented by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Forest Department, Vadanapally grama panchayat and the Kerala Forest Research Institute, envisages creation of a 30km bio-shield along the Vadanappally and Kadappuram coasts.

Species such as casuarina, thespesia, calophyllum, mahogany and bamboo are being planted to protect the coastal belt against storms, cyclones and tsunami.

The project has sought the cooperation of land-owners, voluntary agencies and local communities. The Minister described mangroves as “unpaid coastal guards”. “Local communities should take the initiative to cultivate and maintain mangroves.”

According to M.S. Swaminathan, head of the Chennai-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, coastal plantations could not only resist the force of storms and tsunamis, but also act as a ‘carbon sink’ by absorbing emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Mangroves help fishing communities as fallen leaves release nutrients into the water, supporting many species of fish. T.N. Prathapan, MLA, presided. District panchayat president Ambadi Venu, K.V. Abdul Khader, MLA, and Collector V. K. Baby also spoke.