Forest
Department requests Revenue Department to identify land in six districts
With
the shoreline forest cover proving to be a bio-shield against tropical cyclones
and sea surge, the Odisha government has proposed to take up coastal shelter
belt plantation in 2200 ha of land during the next plantation season in 2014.
The
Forest Department has requested Revenue Department to identify 2200 ha of land
for the purpose in six coastal districts such as Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur,
Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak. The Forest Department has also made
preparations for raising seedlings in temporary nurseries from December next.
In
Ganjam district, which bore the brunt of Cyclone ‘Phailin’ in October last, 800
ha of land has to be identified for the coastal plantation. While Berhampur
forest division will undertake plantation on 500 ha of land, about 300 ha of
land has to be identified in Chilika Wildlife division.
It
needs to be mentioned that impact of Phailin was not as severe as was feared to
be in island villages inside Chilika Lake. It was largely because of presence
of shoreline plantation.
Mangrove
forests act as bio-shield
Similarly,
when the super-cyclone struck in 1999, many coastal habitations were saved in
Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts due to mangrove forests that acted as a
bio-shield. The Rajnagar wildlife division will take up plantation in 200 ha
and 100 ha in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts, respectively.
As
per the Forest Department’s plan, the natural protection against cyclone would
be created over 300 ha of land in Balasore district. Bhadrak district would get
the plantation over 100 ha of land. District collectors of these six districts
have been asked identify lands in consultation with forest department officials
and handover the possession of the land to Divisional Forest Officers by
December 10. Source: The Hindu
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