: Odisha Man Creates 25 Acres of Mangrove Forest in 12 Years, Saves Village From Cyclones #IndiaNEWS #Environment One of India’s worst climate hotspots, Odisha experiences floods, cyclones, storms,

Odisha Man Creates 25 Acres of Mangrove Forest in 12 Years, Saves Village From Cyclones #IndiaNEWS #Environment
One of India’s worst climate hotspots, Odisha experiences floods, cyclones, storms, droughts, among other natural disasters. With extreme weather conditions, the 492 km stretch coast spread across six coastal districts have seen heavy land erosion in the past.
Kendrapara is among the six districts in the most vulnerable hotspots—namely Pentha, Gahirmatha and Satabhya—that witness high erosion.
“The impact is so serious that since the 1970s, five villages have washed away in the sea. The government relocated the villagers to neighbouring locations. It is not a new concept for locals. One of the fresh instances is around 2017-18 when five villages from Satbhaya gram panchayat vanished from the map. Over 700 locals were moved to Bagapatia village by the government,??? says Bijay Kumar Kabi, an environmentalist.
Bijay says that the government tried to install geosynthetic tubes to prevent soil erosion along the boundaries, but it could not stop it. “No technology can withstand the severity of the climate. Only nature can protect us from such devastation,??? he adds.
Entrance of Badakot village. Credit: Manish Kumar
Khirokot is one such village that was devoured by the sea in the 1970s after a super cyclone caused heavy erosion. It caused villagers to shift to the nearby Badakot village about five km from it. The village located between the mouth of the sea and the brackish river started witnessing the same phenomenon due to cyclones. The Bhitarkanika National Park lies adjacent to the settlement.
In 2008, Bijay visited Badakot, only to learn that about 300 meters across the 2 km coastal stretch had disappeared. The villagers were once again staring at the same fears and threats for their survival.
However, 12 years of consistent efforts put in by Bijay has scripted a success story. It has saved the village from land erosion. The massive task was achieved by planting 15,000 mangroves to create the natural barrier in 25 acres of barren land. He shares with The Better India about his Herculean feat.
Creating a forest fence
The natural coastal forest acts as a strong fence to take the harsh impact of extreme weather conditions and prevents land erosion.
“We planted 15,000, but they have increased to more than 50,000 trees over the years,??? Bijay says with pride adding, “Thanks to the sincere efforts of the villagers who guarded the forest for years. The villagers now wake up to the green forest with birds chirping and biodiversity flourishing in the habitat created with 32 species of mangroves. ???
The mangrove ecosystem is flourishing with species like Avicnnia, Kandelia, Rhizora, among others.

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