Chennai: The mangrove forest cover along the beaches of Chennai, Nagapattinam and Puducherry beaches has degraded due to increased commercial activities along the Tamil Nadu coast. However the overall mangrove forest cover of TN coast has grown by two square kilometres. According to the recently released Forest Survey of India, TN now has 49 square kilometre (sq km) of mangrove from its previous cover of 47 sq km.
Coastal Nagapattinam district has recorded a negative change in its mangrove cover of which 16 square kilometres had degraded when compared to the 2015 assessment. During the same period, Tiruvarur district which houses the renowned Muthupet lagoon has gained 16 sq km.
The Pitchavaram mangrove in Cuddalore and Pudhokkotai each has recorded one percent sq km growth.
Ramanthapuram has also marginally lost is marine forest cover, while there are no changes in the beaches coming under Thanjavur and Thiruvallur district. Of the total 13 coastal districts only eight have mangrove cover. Kancheepuram and Villupuram, despire having shorelines, have no records of mangrove forest cover, the report said.
“Thiruvarur has consistently increased its mangrove cover in the past seven years and we also hope that the cover will turn dense and expand towards Nagapattinam district,” said Muthupet forest ranger G. Veerasami.
“Top forest officials should periodically monitor ecological parameters and there should be standing instructions to prevent any kind of commercial activities as the lagoons are fragile ecosystem. In the case of Thiruvarur, the results are encouraging and there is need for more management plans to conserve the adjacent mangrove forests in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts,” opined conservation scientist A. Kumaraguru of the Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. The recent bird census in the Muthupet has also indicated the growth and regeneration of Avicennia Marina (Alay- atti in Tamil) and this species accounts for 95 percent of the mangrove cover, he said.
Further sighting of four species of kingfishers in Muthupet indicates the rich presence of fish in the lagoon, he added.
