Bio-shield likely in coastal region

Bio-shield likely in coastal region-The New Indian Express
Wednesday October 11 2006 00:00 IST

CUDDALORE: The State Government has proposed to develop a bio-shield on 400 hectares of land in the coastal region to protect people from natural calamities, informed District Collector Gagandeep Singh Bedi.

Addressing a function here on Monday, Bedi said the bio-shield would be developed to protect the habitants in the coastal hamlets from disasters, including cyclone, flood and tsunami. Causerina trees would be planted on 250 hectares of land at Pitchavaram and Parangipettai.

The government had plans to develop a mangrove forest on the 100 hectares of land near the backwaters in Pitchavaram, Bedi said.

The government has also plans to plant Causerina trees on the 100 hectares of land in the coastal region and develop a green belt on the 57.5 km stretch of land along the coast line this year.

Trees were planted on 22,800 sq km of land in the reserve forest in Tamil Nadu and 3,67,00 hectares of land in Cuddalore district. And mangrove trees were cultivated on 1,357 hectares of land in the Pitchavaram region in the coastal district, the Collector said.

He said Malattar river, located near Panruti, had become extinct due to repeated deluge in 1970. Residents in 40 villages had faced hardships over the years and the government allotted Rs 40 lakh for taking up steps to give a new lease of life to the river, as a result of which, the ground water table would be recharged effectively, Bedi added.

Forest Department officials, including Villupuram Division Forest Officer V Valaguruvan and Ajay Singh Panwar, spoke on the occasion.