Killing mangrove forests will pose threat to Tamil Nadu: Activists

Madurai

Sensing the emerging danger, activists have come together and have called for urgent steps by the government to save the valuable natural resource. Mangroves are salt-resistant species that grow in the estuaries. With the ideal land and climate condition, the mangroves serve as the best breeding ground for fish and shrimps.

Above all, the big advantage of protecting and preserving the mangroves is that it can save the landscapes from any massive marine disasters. For instance, it was the vast mangrove presence that saved Thoothukudi from the 2004 tsunami, one of the worst catastrophes Tamil Nadu had ever seen its history. The roots hold the marshy land tight and protect them from tidal waves.

Mangroves are abundant in the Gulf of Mannar region and in all the 21 islands throughout the coast. But, now these natural barriers are facing a grave threat in the form of rapid modernisation, lament the activists. Krishnamoorthy, an activist working with coastal community and mangroves for long, said that mangroves have several medicinal values and act as the protecting rim for coastal areas.

Despite knowing the advantages, the mangroves are being destroyed in Thoothukudi and Rameswaram in the name of development, like port expansion and modernisation. Another villain for these natural barrier is the accumulation of plastic which reduces their oxygen intake. This would result in the death of these thick vegetation on coasts, cautioned Krishnamoorthy.

The richest species of mangroves is found in Punnakayal, a coastal village in Thoothukudi district. Tamirabarani river merges with the sea at Punnakayal and hence there is wide distribution of mangroves in this region. Even the district administration proposed to promote tourism in the mangrove forests at Punnakayal. But it did not take off for various reasons. Further, at Punnakayal, a major threat to mangrove forest is a private chemical plant near Arumuganeri.