UDUPI: A boat ride through serene mangrove forests is the new attraction for tourists visiting Kundapur in Udupi district -- along with wildlife watching, recreational angling and trekking. The backwaters of the Panchagangavali River in Kodi, Kundapur, with a profusion of mangrove forests, have become an eco-tourism hotspot.
The forest department took up the initiative to plant mangroves, and the last decade saw plantation areas in the backwaters increase by 450 hectares. The mangroves serve the twin objectives of protecting the shore and boosting eco-tourism. Seedlings planted on about 15 hectares last year in Kodi are now thriving, and provide a green canopy for boat journeys in the backwaters.
In July this year, former forests minister Aravind Limbavali had expressed pleasure about traversing through mangrove forests on a boat, and stressed the prospects of boosting eco-tourism in the region. He had taken a half-hour long boat ride down the Panchagangavali river.
Boating was started here a few years ago. Nagaraj Kanchan brought in ‘Royal Fortune’ and introduced boating in the Panchagangavali river in 2019, and slowly, enquiries from tourists started coming in. Anand Kharvi and his cousins, Santhosh Kharvi and Sathish Kharvi, invested Rs 10 lakh and introduced ‘Chakramma Tourist’ boat the next year. Anand Kharvi told The New Sunday Express that tourists wanting to take a boat ride through the mangrove forests have increased. “A few pre-wedding shoots have also taken place here, as we offer packages for three or four hours, as per their need,’’ he added.
A team of six enthusiasts from Mysuru, led by IT professional Manjunath, arrived in Udupi recently and their first destination was a boat ride through the mangrove forests in Kundapur. ‘‘The calm backwaters left us mesmerized. We saw the canopy of mangroves rising up to 20-25 feet in some stretches. We went early in the morning, so we got to hear the rhythmic chirping of birds. A boat ride is an opportunity to learn about the rich and diverse eco-system,’’ he said.
Mangrove forests are predominantly seen in Kodi, Jalady, Anagalli, Uppinakudru, Paduvari, Koderi, Sasthana and Udyavara regions of Udupi district, and are spread over 600 hectares. The areas where mangrove plants grow are breeding grounds for fish, so from the point of view of conservation of ecology, these bio-shield mangrove forests have to be safeguarded. Birds like the white-bellied sea eagle, brown-headed gull, grey heron and white-breasted kingfisher are found mainly in the mangrove forests in Jalady.
Eco-tourism can be promoted by growing mangrove forests in other backwaters in the coastal region too. Ashish Reddy M V, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kundapur division, a passionate nature conservationist, told TNSE that the conservation and extension of mangrove forests was possible in the region due to the participation of locals as well.
The mangroves of Paduvari in Byndoor taluk look spectacular when seen from the Ottinene area, appearing like floating islands of green. These evergreen forests also sequester a lot more carbon from the atmosphere than tropical forests, are salt-tolerant and check the salty wind blowing from the ocean, thereby saving crops and soil along the coast.
The mangrove species in the region are Rhizophora mucronata, Avicenniaceae, Bruguiera, Sonneratiaceae Sonneratia, among others. Systematic afforestation by the forest department has led to an increase in mangroves over the past decade, providing ‘nursing homes’ for a variety of fish and bird species, Reddy added. Mangrove seedlings are planted when the water level goes down and sand dunes become visible during April and May.
FLOATING FORESTS
Seen in Kodi, Jalady, Anagalli, Uppinakudru, Paduvari, Koderi, Sasthana, Udyavara regions of Udupi district
Species
Rhizophora mucronata, Avicenniaceae, Bruguiera, Sonneratiaceae Sonneratia
Birds
White-bellied sea eagle, brown-headed gull, grey heron, white-breasted kingfisher
Spread over 600 hectares