Given the incidence of cyclone in Odisha which has a coast of about 480 km, the Government should now conduct a survey by a committee of experts to determine the potential areas for creation of saline forests through tree plantation in the river mouth and other suitable areas, president and secretary of the Orissa Environmental Society (OES) Dr Sundara Narayana Patro and Dr Jaya Krushna Panigrahi, respectively, have opined.

As the next step, it needs to be implemented in a time-bound manner with the association of local communities. In sandy areas where it is not possible to establish mangrove forests, creation of casuarina forests will also act as a protection wall. Due to the high costs involved in concrete dams and geo-tube systems and the need for their regular maintenance, these methods should only be employed only in erosion-prone and low-lying coastal areas, they said.

Strengthening the mitigation system at the Government level and adapting with disaster at the individual and community level are very much essential as more such disasters with enhanced intensity are likely to occur in the coming years in the scenario of global warming and climate change. There is a need for increased earnestness in this regard and urgent implementation of these actions, they told.

The Kendrapara district proved to be less damaged than the Jagatsinghpur district in the 1999 Super Cyclone because of the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika which played a significant role in resisting the intensity of the disaster.

The presence of mangrove forests in many coastal regions of the globe has also been reported to control the severity of storms. It has been revealed that the mangroves also act as a good repository of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife, in addition to their role in soil conservation, flood control, providing livelihoods to the local population and above all acting as excellent carbon sinks, they added.