A programme to strengthen green cover along the coast by planting mangroves under an initiative of Haritha Kerala Mission is set to take off soon.
The greening programme will be taken up in 33 panchayats along the coast between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts, including Alappuzha and Kollam, and will cover a distance of 59 km along the coast, Haritha Kerala Mission sources said.
14 acres to be covered
They said that about 14 acres would come under the greening programme. While Haritha Keralam Mission, with the support of Indian Railways, will oversee the programme, the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will be utilised to maintain the mangrove saplings for three years.
Sources also said that proposals from various panchayats interested in joining the programme had been submitted to the State government. Each panchayat would decide on the saplings to be planted — whether mangroves or similar plants.
17 in Alappuzha
The Social Forestry division of the Forest department will supply the saplings for the programme, sources added. They said that 17 panchayats in Alappuzha district had come forward to join the programme while Chittattukara in Ernakulam district would plant mangrove saplings on a 1-km stretch along the Cherai area.
Sources said the mission also planned to create awareness among the people about the importance of mangrove cover to prevent sea erosion and to help breeding of fish species in the backwaters. This is being done taking into consideration some doubts being expressed by fishermen about possible disruption in their fishing activities due to the planting of the mangrove cover.
