The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Mangroves are depleting at a fast pace: scientist

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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Mangroves are depleting at a fast pace: scientist

Staff Reporter

‘Need to check the trend as they protect people from cyclones’

Seminar on ‘Protection of Environment’
Impounding of fresh water affecting Coringa sanctuary

Kakinada: Mangroves in India which had constituted 1/3rd of the area of coastal ecosystems, are depleting at a fast pace due to the anthropogenic pressures on them. Shrimp culture had an adverse effect on mangroves but the situation improved either because of natural regeneration or remedial measures taken by the stakeholders. A lot more remains to be done to conserve them so that they give protection to the people from cyclones and help in sustaining the livelihoods of fisher folks and others dependent on them, said R. Ramasubrahmanyam, a scientist of M.S. Swaminadhan Foundation.

Addressing the faculty and students of Ideal College of Arts and Sciences here at a seminar on ‘Protection of Environment with Special Reference to Coringa Sanctuary’ on Saturday, Dr. Ramasubrahmanyam said the riverine ecosystem of Coringa was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1978 with the objective of protecting salt water crocodiles but few reptiles remain in the wetland which is one of India’s biggest. Whatever species exist in the sanctuary, concerted action has to be taken to achieve the desired result.

New threat

The Coringa sanctuary which measures about 33,000 hectares had shrunk by 2,000 to 5,000 hectares due to unabated agriculture and aquaculture. There was some improvement after the threat to it came to limelight but the future task is daunting as new threat, especially from industrialisation, are becoming serious by each passing day. The impounding of fresh water that comes from river Godavari for human consumption, was depriving the sanctuary of its share, which is necessary for flora and fauna to thrive though they can flourish in saline conditions to some extent. Noted environmentalist T. Patanjali Sastry, Reliance Industries Head of Corporate Social Responsibility N.V. Ramana Murthy, Ideal college correspondent P. Chiranjeevini Kumari, principal T. Nagi Reddy, Sastriya Vignana Parishat vice-president T. Rajyalakshmi and others participated.

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