MUMBAI: In view of rising sea levels and its impact on coastal communities, the Maharashtra government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 141 crore to enhance the community’s resilience to climate change.
The project will be implemented in the coastal districts of Sindhdurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Palghar up to December 2025. “This year we shall work on rejuvenating 500 hectares of degraded mangrove areas in these districts. Another 35 hectares of degraded coral reefs in Malvan taluka in Sindhdurga will be rejuvenated by translocating healthy coral communities to these areas,” said Neenu Somaraj, deputy conservator of forests (Mangrove Cell).
Around 40 villages have been identified for training and providing alternate livelihoods. Initially Panvel and Uran had been selected for the programme but had to be dropped as the coastal areas have been extensively developed. These were replaced with Alibaug and Shrivardhan in Raigad district and Guhaghar in Ratnagiri district.
In the next couple of years in all 3,100 hectares of degraded mangrove land will be rejuvenated. Mangroves serve as a natural barrier against storms and tidal waters. The agriculture department will carry out watershed development programme for 600 hectares.
‘Enhancing Climate Resilience of Indian Coastal Communities’ is a United Nations Development Programme – Green Climate Fund activity. Two states along the eastern coast _ Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and Maharashtra on the western coast have been selected for this programme. The Maharashtra government will receive Rs 86 crore as grant from the GCF and the state in turn will provide Rs 141 crore spread over the next five years. While the forest department will expend Rs 100 crore, the agriculture department will provide approximately Rs 19 crore and the fisheries department Rs 17 crore.
The mangrove conservation cell plans to set up crab hatcheries in Sindhdurg to help create sustainable livelihoods. The others being training villagers to cultivate fish to used in fish tanks for display, fish fertilisation centre, fish food production house and dairy centre and paddy cultivation.
“We shall be creating a network of institutions for coastal governance. The objective is to integrate the perspective of the public and private sectors into adaptation to climate change, plans and resolutions,” said Somaraj.
