Odisha loses 9sqkm mangrove forests in 2 years

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has lost 9sqkm of mangrove forest in just two years from 2011, according to Forest Survey of India (FSI) report released recently by the Centre.
The FSI report-2013 came as a complete reversal of its immediate previous (2011) finding, which had said Odisha recorded growth of one sq km of mangrove forest in two years from 2009.
The latest finding came as a shock both for forest officials and environment campaigners, who see it as an ominous sign. Mangrove forests, besides being a rich eco-system, are widely considered as a protective wall against cyclones, which frequently hit the state's coast. Odisha has 62 species of mangroves spread over 213 sq km. Kendrapada district accounts for the largest patch (183 sq km), followed by Bhadrak (21 sq km), Jagatsinghpur (7 sq km) and Balasore (2 sq km).
The FSI report said four sq km of mangrove forest vanished from Kendrapada district, which has Bhitarakanika National Park. Other districts like Bhadrak and Balasore lost two sq km of mangrove each followed by Puri one sq km. Rajnagar divisional forest officer Kedar Swain said the report would be 'examined threadbare' to find out the reason behind loss of mangrove.
The report said the state during the period added a net area of 1,444 sq km of forest, an increase of 0.93% compared to the previous survey findings. "But there is nothing to feel happy about it as these are all open forests, mostly plantations. Apart from the mangroves, the state during these two years has lost 18 sq km of dense and 68 sq km of moderate dense forests," said campaigner Biswajit Mohanty.
"It is high time the government conducted thorough audit of so-called afforestation programmes and fix responsibilities on officials," he said.