Restoring Uppanar River mangroves in Tamil Nadu

Mangrove reforestation has been enthusiastically taken up by a rural-based Aalamaram, a non-governmental organisation. The volunteers from the surrounding villages of Thyagavalli, Nochikadu, Naduthittu, Thiruchopuram, Poondiyankuppam, Rajapettai and Sothikuppam extended their co-operation in planting the seedlings, carefully nursing them and vigilantly preserving them .Mangrove forests are important and crucial for the coastal areas. Mangroves play a vital role in stabilising these areas. No engineering and technological solutions can be sought for stabilising this imbalance.

Students and other people of the village take turns in groups and get into the marshy lands to plant and nurse the plants in the night hours. Their efforts since 2009 have bore fruit. Nearly 5,000 mangrove saplings were planted along the bank of Uppanar River. The industrial area of Cuddalore, SIPCOT, is located on the bank and wishing that the mangroves would purify the water and the air polluted by these industries, volunteers eagerly planted saplings of mangrove and avicennia along the river bank.

Expanding further

Motivated by the interest of the villagers, the office bearers of the Aalamaram NGO have planned to expand this project to the other nearby coastal villages too. The saplings grew almost to the heights of 5ft.

More than one lakh saplings that were planted on a stretch of 15 km, and other instruments like small boats etc., used in the planting and maintaining of the mangroves, whose worth estimated more than Rs 10 crore, were pathetically destroyed during the floods.

Due to non-stop rain for more than 60 days, the plants were totally immersed in fresh water for more two months.

Due to the decrease in the salinity of the base water, the plants started decaying. Even the plants which were 3 feet high were immersed in water for more than 60 days and the entire mangroves along the coast were totally ruined Aalamaram NGO feels that the damage was estimated to reach Rs. 10 crore. We have sought support from the government to support their efforts in plant the mangroves.