RAMANATHAPURAM: Union minister Parshottam Rupala and Minister of State (MoS) L Murugan will lay the foundation for an Integrated Seaweed Park at Thondi in Ramanathapuram district on September 2.
As many as 136 coastal villages have been identified in six coastal districts--Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi-- for seaweed cultivation.
The benefits include the creation of alternative employment opportunities for coastal fisherwomen, the creation of infrastructure facilities for the value addition of seaweed products, and the creation of common infrastructure facilities. Seaweeds are marine plants that act as a rich source of nutrients, providing habitat for marine life, and as carbon sequester. The multipurpose seaweed park has been approved at an outlay of `127.7 crore.