A unique project to conserve mangroves in the city

Conserving the mangrove habitat in your neighbourhood will soon become all the more a productive affair.

Beginning this Monday, the Forest Department will launch a unique project to conserve the mangrove vegetation along the coastline of the Ernakulam district with the help of local communities.

It envisages offering incentives and training to people engaged in conservation and replanting of mangroves so as to create public awareness on the real importance of the mangroves, which could prevent invasions from the sea, retain water and prevent soil erosion, among other things.

The programme, being implemented with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) support from the Petronet LNG Limited, will take off to a start with the planting of mangrove seedlings on the banks of a major canal that flows through the Njarakkal grama panchayath in Vypeen.

As part of it, the department is also conducting a survey with the help of local bodies to identify the mangrove ecosystems as well as the locations for replanting mangrove saplings.

The exercise is being carried out in the absence of proper records about the presence of mangrove cover across the district. “The objective is to expand the mangrove cover to more areas over a period of three years by planting 15,000 seedlings in the first year, 10,000 in the next and 5,000 in the final year. We also propose to extend a financial assistance of Rs.10,000 per acre of mangroves,” said Martin Lowel, Assistant Conservator of Forests.

Alongside, the department will also provide fishlings suitable for these habitats and implement a waste management programme and cleaning strategy to support the life forms in these habitats. “Mangrove forests serve as habitat for life forms ranging from lesser mammals to several species of resident and migratory birds. Accumulated waste being dumped in the mangrove areas was a threat,” the official added.

The focus of the programme in the first phase will be the coastline between Kannamali and Munambam while it will also be implemented in some other areas such as Kumbalam and Kumabalangi. The department is also looking at entering into tie-ups with local bodies.

Project will offer training in conservation and replanting of mangroves.