THANJAVUR: The mangrove plantation drive on the coast of Thanjavur commenced on Tuesday with 2,000 saplings planted in the Manora area of the district and a total of 13,000 mangrove saplings to be planted in a week's time.
The District Green Committee, with Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver as chairperson and District Forest Officer Akhil Thampi as secretary, started the mangrove restoration project in the district by starting a mangrove nursery at Keezhathottal in August 2022.
As many as 13,000 seedlings including the species of Rhizophora mucronata (Surapunnai) and Avicennia marina (Alayathi) were nurtured. While the District Green Committee provided funds, voluntary organisation OMCAR foundation raised the nursery with the help of the local community.
The saplings will be planted in 14 select coastal sites in the district with the participation of the Manora Rotary Club, Kadaimadai Area Integrated Farmers Association (KAIFA), Red Cross and the Clean Thanjavur Movement, officials said. Mangroves serve as a feeding and breeding ground for a variety of marine animals, including commercially valuable crabs, shrimps and fish.
The mangroves and seagrass beds in the district played a key role in protecting the shorelines during Cyclone Gaja in 2018. Mangroves also help to fix atmospheric carbon into the earth, termed "blue carbon" and hence it is vital to restore the mangroves for climate change mitigation, the officials added. When contacted, DFO Akhil Thampi said this was the first phase of mangrove plantation in the district.
"We are planning to raise another one lakh mangrove saplings over the next two months with financial assistance from NABARD," he said, adding that eco-friendly nursery bags made of palmyrah leaves were used on a pilot basis for 200 mangrove saplings.