No, not the tsunami. I am talking about deadly man-made killers like aquaculture and sand
mining that are destroying all living things along the coasts. Not at one go…slowly
but surely. Let me tell you about the three most lethal ones.
Aquaculture
In 1992, investors pumped in money to set up a 15,000 acre
shrimp complex in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Shrimps and molluscs were bred here in inland
waters and artificially created ponds—primarily for exports. Within a couple of
years, thousands of families living in the coastal villages became ‘shrimp
refugees’, because they had no water to drink or to farm…The ground water had
turned saline and acidic thanks to excessive pumping. Chemical fertilisers and antibiotics
flowing out of the shrimp farm had polluted the adjacent estuaries and tanks.
Seen as a major foreign exchange earner, aquaculture became a rage in early 1990s. But
the toll it takes on mangroves, forests and most of all on water along the coasts is too
high.
Sand
mining
Terminator Number Two! Experts say that 21 beaches in the
Nicobar have been ‘lost’ to sand mining in past 10 years. The most serious
offender here is the construction industry. Sand and its various components are used to
produce cement and other building materials. The beaches are also extremely rich in
minerals deposits. So there is a huge and steadily growing demand. Impact? India’s
coastline is being stripped off its natural vegetation
Tourist
resorts, industry, and ports
They blatantly flout the CRZ—all in the name
of development and trade. Larger harbours are required to shelter bigger ships; luscious
resorts with private beaches are a ‘must’ to attract rich tourists; and of
course, who will not agree that industries have to be given priority? True. All these
commercial activities make very profitable business.
 The causality...
Stop a while and take stock now. Look at what all this is
doing to our coasts. Solid wastes and debris are being dumped on the beach. Acres of
mangrove reserves, sea grass and coral reef are being dredged; and livelihoods destroyed.
But the most frightening fact is that these are the barriers that nature created to
protect human beings, animals and all living resources from the tsunamis, cyclones and
typhoons. These are the warriors in the front ranks, who take the brunt of the raging
waters—slowing down and soothing the waves before they strike the coasts. So the land
is protected and the damage caused by the sea is not as devas-tating as on December 26,
2004! And we are killing them…
CAN WE
HAVE SOME
BUFFERS PLEASE? |
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Still not convinced? Need some solid proof? Here we go…
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Ntature ’s
soldiers: fending off tsunamis and nurtuing people |
Champions of Cuddalore
Cuddalore in TamilNadu faced the deadly tsunami. While most
of this coastal district was ravaged, 6000 villagers living in six hamlets—less than
a kilometre away from the Pichavaram mangrove reserves—were barely touched! The tides
had been blocked by the thick vegetation.
Bhitarkanika’s bulwark
In 1999, a cyclone of a tremen-dous force struck Orissa,
paralysing the state, taking more than 10,000 lives. But amidst the chaos was a tiny patch
of haven— the Bhitarkanika sanctuary, country’s second largest mangrove forest.
All the villages in and around this area were spared the trauma.
Standing tall in Vietnam
Vietnam, in South-East Asia, faces at least four
typhoons every year on an average. It built a 3,000 km long wall or sea dyke along the
coast to protect its coastal population—and spent a whopping US$7.3 million each year
to repair it. Because every time the sea invaded, the dyke was breached. Till the
government decided to plant mangroves over an area of 12,000 hectares. It is now reaping
the benefits. The typhoon that lashed over three of its northern provinces in October
2000, could not damage the wall. There is more. The mangrove reserve now provides
additional livelihood for the 7,750 odd fami-lies which live here!
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| Have you also figured out how important marine flora and
fauna are for providing food and shelter for more than 25 per cent of our people? Mangroves
and coral reefs act as carbon sinks and sustain the fish population; sea grass provides
breeding grounds for aquatic creatures like fish and mammals and also feeds them.
So everytime the CRZ is amended to make way for one more five-star resort or a port or
a factory—the lives as well as the livelihoods of coastal communities are put under
threat.
Is this fair?Think about it … |
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