The indiscriminate use of pesticide in its adjacent farmlands has taken a toll on the honey production in the Coringa mangroves. Coringa, located near to Kakinada, is considered to be the second largest mangrove in India after the Sundarbans in West Bengal. Bhitarkanika in Odisha is in third place when it comes to the size.
Spread in an extent of 333 square kilometres, the Coringa mangrove has been the home for a wide range of flora and fauna. The honey production in Coringa is much lesser when compared to that of the Sundarbans and the Bhitarkanika. Moreover, the production has been on the decline year after year, which has prompted the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation to work on the casuarina plantation in Coringa to improve its density.
“Unlike Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika, agriculture fields are located very close to the Coringa. As the honey bees are known for their relentless travel, they happen to get affected by the pesticides being used by the farmers. As a result, there has been a visible drop in the honey production,” R. Ramasubramaniyan, senior scientist from the foundation told The Hindu .
‘ Aegiceras corniculatum’ , popularly known as ‘black mangroves’ and ‘Guggilam’ in the local parlance, is the source of quality nectar in Coringa mangrove.
The flowering season for this plant lasts four months a year and the grown up plants are being converted into firewood by the nearby residents. “We have to take into the account the facts that nectar is available only from the lone source here and the extent of the mangrove is lesser than Sundarbans. But, still we have not seen many honey nests in the Coringa,” points out Dr. Ramasubramaniyan.
