Forest dept proposes vegetative measures for shoreline management

The forest department of Mangaluru division has proposed vegetative measures for shoreline management, particularly to check sea erosion under the government's eco-restoration scheme, said Mangaluru division DCF Dr Y Dinesh Kumar on Monday.

The government has been spending money on dumping boulders to check sea erosion, he said.

“We noticed that there was no erosion at places with natural vegetation. Thus, a proposal for Rs 3 crore was submitted to the government. The proposal aims to take up vegetative measures at Bengre, Sasihithlu in Dakshina Kannada, Kodi in Kundapura and Byndoor in Udupi district," he added.

A nursery for the required vegetation will be developed for the project this year so that planting can be taken up next year, he said.

As per the model of bio shielding as a biological barrier to control coastal erosion/protection, the vegetation will be developed in four zones on the shore, he added.

The first zone will be a creeper zone with vegetation like Ipomeca pes-caprae, Spinifex littoreus, Launea sarmentosa, Hydrophylax maritima. The second zone will be a closed herbaceous zone with plants like Scaevola sps, Vitex, Pandanus, crinum asiaticum. The third zone will have small trees and shrubs with zyzuphus Morinda, Vitex trifolia, pandanus species. The next level will have a tall tree zone with species of calophyllum inophyllum, Casuraina, Alstonia, Terminalia catappa, said the DCF.

Fruit-bearing saplings

To a query on encroachment of river bed in Kuloor, he said that fencing work was completed in association with Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC). DCF said an orchard of fruit bearing plants will be planted on 200 hectares of land for animals and birds in the district. About 1.70 lakh saplings of hebbalasu, ‘unde huli,’ breadfruit, kokum and others are being raised in eight nurseries to be replanted in the orchard.

A campaign to create awareness on the need for sowing seeds of fruit bearing plants will be created among schoolchildren across the district in June. The department has raised 4.41 lakh saplings for distribution among general public and farmers. In Mangaluru, 75000 saplings will be distributed, he added.

Permanent nursery

The forest division of Mangaluru has submitted a proposal to government on setting up a permanent nursery in district, so that saplings were available throughout the year for public and farmers. About five hectares of land will be required for setting up a nursery with facilities like green house, water and others, DCF Dr Dinesh Kumar informed.