The Kerala state government has decided to approve the social forestry department’s proposal to notify 50 hectares of the mangrove forests in Puthuvype as reserved forest. The land will include areas that fall under the jurisdiction of Cochin Port Trust, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) and Kinfra.
The original proposal had sought to protect 206.8 hectares of the mangrove forests that are depleting fast due to rampant urbanisation. This included land under the custody of Kinfra and Agriculture Department. But the revised report based on a resurvey has excluded these regions of the mangrove forests. The social forestry department has cited procedural challenges as a major hurdle in declaring land owned by individuals or institutions as forest land.
The proposal is in accordance with Kerala Forest Act Section 4 which provides for constituting any land as reserved forest. The report also recommends appointing Fort Kochi Revenue Divisional Officer as Forest Settlement Officer. Considering the alarming rate of environmental degradation in Kochi, salvaging the mangroves could prove vital in providing the city with the much needed green lungs.
Puthuvype’s mangrove forests, one of the thickest in Ernakulam, has sustained relentless destruction with infrastructure projects gnawing away at the green cover.
With several projects requiring reclamation of the wetlands on the anvil, experts warn that the island will soon be depleted of mangroves if it is not protected as reserved forest.
Mangrove habitats that sustained the biodiversity of Kochi till about quarter of a century ago are fast disappearing. Home to many species of birds, fish, invertibrates and migratory birds, mangroves are ecosystems unto itself.
Between 2005 and 2015, 554 acres of mangrove forests were destroyed in Kochi. Out of this, 284 acres were reclaimed by government institutions and the remaining 270 acres were taken over by various private entities. Mangalavanam, located behind the Kerala High Court, is the only protected mangrove cover in Kochi as of now.
Mangroves of Kochi
Among the coastal districts of Kerala, Ernakulam was second only to Kannur in terms of its mangrove cover till a few years back. The district was also recorded to have the maximum number of mangrove species in the state. But much of this has been lost to urbanisation and ecological degradation over the years. Mangroves that once thrived in the regions like Ernakulam, Edakochi, Chellanam,Tirunettur, Nettur, Wellington Island, Vallarpadam and Valanthakad have more or less disappeared. In the space of about three decades, the total mangrove cover of the district came down from around 500 hectres to 180 hectares according to a survey done in 2010.
Out of the 17 common species of mangroves that were found in Kerala such as peekandal, uppotti, kammatti, karippatti, nalla kandal, nakshatra kandal, kannabotta, chulli kandal, kada kandal, machin kandal, only a few have managed to survive. The last two years have shown a decline in the number of some of the rarest species. Studies show that Kerala has lost around 14,337 hectares of mangrove cover over the last 40 years.
How mangroves do wonders
» Mangroves stabilise coastlines and protect them from storms.
» Mangroves are one of the most dynamic ecosystems that provide diverse species of birds, mammals, crustaceans and fish with irreplaceable habitat.
» Mangroves prevent floods and erosion by stabilising sediments with their tangled roots.
» They act as a natural water filter that traps sediments and pollutants, thus maintaining water quality in the coasts
» Mangroves are ideal locations to combine the cultivation of pokkali rice (saline tolerant rice variety), shrimp farming, duck farming and bee keeping.
» Crabs, prawns, cockles, mollusk and other fish varieties thrive in mangroves
