TN govt committed to safeguarding coastal ecosystems, says TN Minister

Chennai, Sep 23 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government is committed to safeguarding the coastal ecosystem and improving the lives of the people dependent on it, State Forests Minister R S Rajakannappan said on Tuesday.

Highlighting the government's resolve in this direction, he said Chief Minister M K Stalin gave direction to safeguard the coastal ecosystems while improving the lives of people who depend on them.

The minister was speaking at the inaugural of the first Tamil Nadu Mangrove Conclave 2025 held in Mahabalipuram.

He released a book on Tamil Nadu's mangrove journey, containing a detailed report on restoring mangrove forests.

Two Memoranda of Understanding were signed at the inaugural session for partnership initiatives between the Environment, Climate Change & Forests Department, and Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development Department, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on sustainable urban cooling, extreme heat planning, and climate-resilient infrastructure, with demonstration projects.

The second MoU was with the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) for joint coastal and marine conservation through baseline studies, restoration of ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs, and community-based eco-livelihoods.

Speaking on the occasion, Forest Department Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu said through the conclave Tamil Nadu sought to create a collective momentum that united the states, scientists, and citizens in protecting the vital ecosystems.

"Mangroves are more than trees by the sea. They are lifelines for our coasts, our communities, and our climate," she said, and added that people will be empowered through mangrove councils, which will be set up to protect mangroves.

Sahu said the department has prepared a "Tamil Nadu Mangrove Atlas," which was the first statewide scientific mapping of mangroves, to serve as a guide.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Srinivas R Reddy said it has been planned to create a bioshield along 126 km of coastline.

UNEP India head Balakrishna Pisupati, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation chairperson Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Advisor to Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company Ramesh Ramachandran, Governing Council Member A Kalaiyarasan, and Scientist C/Deputy Director, Sustainable Coastal Management Division, MoEFCC, Raghavan, spoke.

"The Mangrove Conclave marks a watershed moment in Tamil Nadu's environmental leadership. It is not only a platform to showcase the state's achievements but also a call for action to build climate-resilient coasts," a release here said.

By aligning science, policy, and community stewardship, the conclave underscored Tamil Nadu's vision of positioning mangroves as central to its fight against climate change, biodiversity loss, and livelihood vulnerability, it said.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s ambitious goal of expanding the mangrove cover in the state yielded encouraging results, with the area doubling in three years, from 4,500 hectares in 2021 to 9,039 hectares in 2024, a forest official said.

Chennai’s Adyar Estuary, which is part of the success story, now sports a lush green look, he told PTI.

The new mangrove green belt in the heart of the city at Adyar was created under the Tamil Nadu Mangrove Mission, an initiative of the state’s Green Tamil Nadu Mission, to plant and restore mangrove forests in nine coastal districts, the official added.

The primary goal was to create natural bio-shields to protect coastal communities from natural disasters like cyclones and tsunamis. The move also supported the livelihood of the locals by providing fish breeding grounds and boosting biodiversity, the official added.

Sahu said her department has planted 5,000 mangrove saplings across 5 hectares, adding a shining green jewel to the city's biodiversity heritage.

"At the Adyar Estuary near Broken Bridge, the Chennai Forest Division has created a fishbone with three main canals and 62 distribution canals across the Battle of Adyar Island. To protect these from grazing, 582 metres of fish nets and even used sarees have been fixed as barriers," she said in a social media post.

This initiative would contribute to shielding Chennai’s coast from cyclones and sea-level rise, Sahu added.

Ahead of the conclave, the forest department brought out a video on the breathtaking Pichavaram Mangrove Forests in Cuddalore district. PTI JSP JSP KH