Buoyed by the success of its coastal protection efforts using Casuarina trees (scientifically known as Casuarina Equisetifolia) in parts of Alappuzha, the Forest Department is set to extend the ‘bio-shield’ to more coastal areas in Kerala.
Eight years since the mass plantation of the species known commonly as Kattadi trees across 17 hectares in the Purakkad grama panchayat, the region has found them to be effective in saving shores from high tides especially during the monsoon season.
“At a time when several coastal areas are ravaged by sea erosion, the belt in Purakkad has been less affected by such vagaries of the weather. The species has also been found to improve soil quality. Yet another advantage is they act as a barrier that lessens the intensity of wind and protects properties near the coastline,” E. Pradeep Kumar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), points out.
As part of the Van Mahotsav planting festival that is celebrated across the country in the first week of July, the Department will develop yet another bio-shield using 1.5 lakhs of Casuarina seedlings on 15 acres from Arthunkal to Mararikulam in Alappuzha.
Another belt, albeit a smaller one, will come up along the coastal area of Malipuram in Vypeen, Ernakulam where 20,000 seedlings will be planted. Other areas that have been identified for the coastal protection scheme include Kannur and Kasaragod.
According to Fen Antony, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Alappuzha, the seedlings are planted 50 metres away from the coastline to ensure the seashore ecosystem in which marine species such as turtles and crabs thrived remained unscathed. The Purakkad experience has prompted more local communities to clamour for such natural barriers.
While efforts were on to identify more lands in the State for extending the protective cover, the paucity of unused land in the densely-populated coastal areas has been a hurdle.
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran will formally inaugurate the project in Arthunkal on July 7. Similar planting drives and new infrastructural projects will be launched in Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts during the Van Mahotsav.
