On May 3, Cyclone Fani totally ravaged the Balukhand-Konark Wild Life Sanctuary, which is famous for its black bucks. The sanctuary was established over a 72.72-sqkm area on April 23, 1984. It is a sandy tract, covered by thousands of sand dunes of various sizes. The sand is brine and peculiar biodiversities are seen.
Images by IT
Before the artificial forestry was taken up in the area, the sand erosion over the adjoining human habitat and the agricultural lands was rampant. There were natural forests seen over the entire tract. The whole tract is drained by rivers Kashabhadra and Nuanai.
The sanctuary is well served by Marina- Drive road of Puri and Konark. Prior to the sanctuary was established through the artificial plantations of casuarinas and cashew, the area was covered with indigenous species like Luna-kia. It grows up to the height of 20 to 30 feet in the bare sand and thrives well. Besides Luna-kia, other grasses with monocotyledon plants favour to grow in the tract.
Mostly the Pandarums species of luna kia grow well, which provide shelter and food to the spotted deer and black bucks.
Not only Konark – Balukhand Sanctuary, the whole estuarine forests as well as the coast is filled with wild creatures. Besides the Luna kia, the indigenous species like Tentuli, Pulanga, Karanja Neem, which are wing firm trees and very much suitable to local factors of the coastal regions were growing naturally and the natural habitat of wild creatures was built. But when the natural forests were removed for commercial grain like casuarinas and cashew root, the natural ecosystem was tampered.
The whole Konark-Balukhand sanctuary turned into artificial ecosystem of jhaw and cashew-nut, other than Kia or screw-pine. The tropical forests of crew-pine were protecting the environment, which is always prone to oceanic cyclone.
The Puri-Konark-Balukhand estuarine ecological system was always getting protection from natural disasters due to presence of screw-pine forests. Since, the screw –pine forests were removed and its place was taken up by the casuarinas and cashew forests, the cyclonic disasters are becoming strong.
The abandoning of screw pine forests for casuarinas and cashew forests in the Puri-Konark coast was ecologically very wrong. It is certain that the crew pine forest is not economically strong as compared to jhaw and cashew forests. The jhaw is a very strong species in the field of brine sands of sea coast, which have long tap roots and arrests spread of sand to agricultural fields, thereby containing erosion. The large volume of fire woods to the Lord Jagannath Temple and other temples for preparation of Mahaprasad at Puri is met from Jhaw forests of the Puri-Konark coast.
When the planters are going to raise plantations in a given site or field, the local factors should be studied and given prime importance. The local factors always favour the ecology.
The tropical screw pine forests of sea coast are ecologically favoured species of Konark-Puri seacoast. It is a fact that, jhaw is not a natural species of Odisha seacoast; it was brought from Chitaganj of present Bangaldesh during 1925-37, when India was one and undivided.
It was introduced in Odisha seacoast for two main reasons. First is to control sand dune erosions and second, to balance the air-temperature of the Puri town. Subsequently, the demand of firewood was met. The Odisha seacoast is prone to oceanic cyclone as the factors do not suit the situations of the seacoast. It has been proved from the recent cyclone Fani.
Similarly, cashew is not a crop of Indian origin. It is a species of Australia , which was introduced in our country mostly for food value and for value of cash-earning. It helps in soil-moisture conservation.
The cashew never regenerates naturally neither in our sea-coast nor anywhere in India. So it cannot be said that, it is ecologically favoured by the locality.
Again in the crew-pine forests, the wildlives like spotted deers, black bucks, stripped hyena, jungle cat, etc were profusely seen as the eco-system was favouring the situation.
During the Fani, the wildlife of Konark-Balukhand sanctuary was scattered and most of them met death due to panic as there was no secured habitat for them.
The species, which provide ample shelter and ground coverage for physical protections, food and conservation of moisture are always favoured by the wild creatures. In Konark-Balukhand Sanctuary the natural habitat of wild creatures has been damaged by us long since.
As per sources, very recently the State Forest Department has decided to form a committee to study the local conditions and recommend the suitable species for raising the same in cyclone ravaged areas.
The wind-firm as well as deep rooted and ever green trees are to be planted along the roads, which can serve the purpose of landscape management and avenue –glory.
Now saplings worth crores of rupees are to be planted to protect the environment and to save the present civilization. So, most considered expertise views are to be taken prior to taking up such programme.
The local species should always be encouraged and where there are degraded forests, they should be rigidly protected from fire, grazing and theft and also from encroachments.
The rigid protection measure of degraded eco-system can yield better result than any artificial plantation. Every forest block should be treated as a unit of management and as an individual eco-system. Even every planted forest should be treated as a modified eco-system, but it should be based on local factors.
June 5 is observed as World Environment Day. Similarly, June 8 is observed as World Ocean Day. The land and ocean cannot be separated. The climate of the region always is based on both ocean and land.
The meteorology of a region always depends on the influence of ocean graphs and so also the marine-biology. The marine biology cannot be protected to a desired extent if the estuarine eco-system is damaged by man for any reason. If the esturine eco-systems are damaged for industrilisations as it happens in Balukhand-Konark sanctuary, we definitely welcome the meteorological downfall like Fani.
The ocean is responsible for the distribution of “temperature” not only of oceanic body, but also in landmass also.
Similarly, the salinity, density of water and specific value of the same are maintained due to presence of vast water body. The oxygen distribution in the ocean is most important for sustainable ecology. So mismanagement of ocean by man throughout the globe warrants a dangerous situation for the future.
(The writer is a former forest officer and an environmentalist. M-9937460649)
By NADIYA CHAND KANUNGO
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