KOCHI: Buimerc India Foundation (BIF), in coordination with M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, is initiating a mangrove restoration project along the Vypeen coast. The project, which would cover nearly 40-50 km of shoreline in three years, is set to begin this year.
The project also proposes setting up a mangrove field school in the region under the supervision of Murukesan, popularly known as the ‘Mangrove Man of Kochi.’ The school would focus on sapling and seed cultivation, youth capacity building, training and workshops to nurture youth into environment conservation.
Mangrove covers are important for ecological balance and safety of coastal regions. They act as a natural barrier against storms, erosion, and tsunamis, protect coastal infrastructure and also provide an ecosystem for aquatic life and natural fish breeding. The project would be initiated on a 10-km stretch by collecting seeds and cultivation of native mangrove species. This phase would see preparation of about 20,000 saplings. The 10-km stretch would cover booth sea and lake shores.
“We see this as a great opportunity to contribute to environment conservation and to foster awareness. We see this as an opportunity for the private sector to complement government-lead initiatives in this sector,” said R Balachandran, chairman of BIF.