Odisha has a total of 480-km coastline. The coastline had lush green vegetation once upon a time. The coastal mangroves and coral reefs were luxuriant and provided a protective shield to the human population living near the coast.
They were also very rich in flora and fauna. However, for different reasons, these lush patches of forests have been destroyed to a great extent. The current move of the Government to establish ports also poses a grave threat to the surrounding sea ecology and its biodiversities.
If the sea ecology is in danger of destruction, the rivers are no way in a better position. Several rivers, which originate from the Eastern Ghat hill regions and join the Bay of Bengal, are Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Salandi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Mahanadi and Rushikulya.
These rivers form several economic zones, but their management rests upon the people, who are solely dependent on the rivers for their livelihoods. These rivers are rich in biodiversities. Varieties of amphibians, reptiles, avifauna and plant communities are found in these rivers. However, the rivers are also under threat because of pollution.
Now our entre sea coast has fallen victim of ports, indiscriminately established without consideration of their future consequences and the possible ecological disasters. Four functional ports like Paradip, Gopalpur, Dhamra and Palur have already shown how they impacted adversely the sea ecology. These ports destroyed huge mangrove belt of the State. Notwithstanding the bitter experience of establishing ports at the cost of sea ecology, the Government again is planning to establish a few more ports. If on an average, ten km coastal belt- cum- mangrove are destroyed for functioning of each port, then much of the State coastal mangrove will be destroyed. Recently, there was a climatic disaster in Astarang, where a new minor port is in progress.
The tidal water damaged hundreds of acres of cultivable land as well as the human habitation. About 4,000 people were rendered homeless. Coral reefs are very much sensitive mangrove forests. The coastal reefs are generally noticed within the shallow water of the sea and close to mangrove of the sea coasts. Few decades back, such reefs were noticed within sea lands of Gopalpur ports. However, due to constant interference of man, the marine reefs have vanished. The Gopalpur ports forced the animals to stray away from their habitat.
Sand beaches and dunes are also mangrove forests. The sand beaches are protective barriers against sea wave. Now, the Puri beach is completely occupied by various hotels in sheer violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The sea beaches from Digha on the West Bengal border to Gopalpur bordering Andhra Pradesh have either been encroached upon or their ecosystem have been neglected making them vulnerable to climatic disasters. The destruction of the ecosystems of Digha, Chandipur, Dhamara, Paradip, Puri, Konark and Gopalpur casts shadow on their very safety. large swathes of casuarinas have been destroyed in these beaches, besides large patches of mangroves. Even the artificial plantations are damaged by the people for various purposes and in some cases by the Government for establishment of ports and port- based industries. These activities are sure to bringclimatic disasters in the long run.
Different types of vegetation like grasses, creepers and other species, besides faunal population of the mangroves are the worst victims of the destruction of the mangroves. The black bucks and barking deer, which were commonly found in the Konark and Balukhand areas in Puri, have now been reduced to a few due to encroachment of the beaches and destruction of their habitats. The wanton destruction of natural vegetation in the coastline poses a grave threat to the coastal districts as they have been increasingly made vulnerable to natural disasters like storm and cyclone apart, from sea erosion. The present generation needs to be very careful about it.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist)