SURAT: While Surat prepared to face the worst side of cyclone’s devastating impact on its coastline, nature itself worked in its own mysterious ways and tamed the wild Tauktae on its shores.
People can thank the mini forests of mangrove on around 5,000-hectare land have worked as a wall preventing devastation from the strong wind and buffering the impact.
But as someone had wisely said: ‘The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think.’ Population of 14, 200 in 14 villages are located on its 35 km long coastline were spared from the damages from cyclonic winds and tidal waves on that fateful night by these plantations.
However, mangrove cover was sadly reduced to 1,000 hectare a decade ago by human destruction, according to forest department records.
Thankfully, on time awareness and protection measures for the plantations has enabled regrowing the cover to 5,000 hectares now.
Of the total area under mangrove cover forest department did plantations in 1,500 hectares, while private companies did their bit on 500-hectare plantation area.
“In recent cyclones mangrove plantations have worked like a wall against the wind and tidal waves.
A large area on Surat coast is under mangrove cover now and it is growing gradually creating an ecosystem that supports local residents,” said Puneet Nayyar, deputy conservator of forest.
Mangrove cover was present in the coastal area of south Gujarat but it reduced drastically due to various reasons.
“Mangroves help grow the flora and fauna of the area apart from reducing soil erosion.
It has medicinal uses as well and it is an important chain-link of the environment,” said Mohini Gadhia, professor and former head of department of aquatic biology, VNSGU.