$6 m for Mada forests/ Bid to curb pollution

Kakinada, April 4 (CNST): Except coastal based residents others are
unaware of the picturesque Mada forests, which offered a kind of protective
ring to the much polluted Kakinada coast, and it will shortly come under
the purview of a joint project envisaged by the State and Central
Governments plus the United Nations Development Programme to effectively
conserve the cited forest wealth.

The 5-year project, under the aegis of Godavari Foundation, at a cost of US
$ 6 millions is also expected to bring in different industries, forest
department and other non-government organizations on a single platform to
envisage development.  With this gigantic effort the pollution layer in the
entire East coast shall come to an end giving rise to scintillating foliage.

Interestingly the scenic Mada forests spread over 33000 hectares ( in East
Godavari district ) had been attracting the tourists from all sides for
valid reasons as its unique placement at the confluence of both the giant
Godavari and Krishna rivers with the Bay of Bengal gives an impression that
the entire forest is afloat in the high seas.

 Besides, the said forests acted as a shield to the east coast against the
cyclonic storms and a natural catastrophe like Tsunami in 1996 and 2004.
With 35 different varieties of tree species stretching on the said forests,
the island came to be regarded as a platform to the fishermen and an asylum
to diverse species of birds too.

Better late …
Ironically both the State and the Central Governments woke up from deep
siesta not until the UNDP officials identified its natural resources and
the eye-catching greenery topping the list of tourist centres in Asia. The
world tourist agency ( GEF ) is said to be funding the aforesaid project.

To some extent the Trust by the noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan
tried to help increase the cited forest area. Besides, the spread of
industries in the East Coast gave rise to the search for oil and natural
gas and all this had contributed to further safeguard the interests of the
Mada forests.

Further, according to sources, trees here absorb four times more carbon di
oxide ( CO2 ) and release much more oxygen under photosynthesis than their
counterparts elsewhere. The tree leaves are a good source of food to over
40 types of fishes, which is a good source of income to the fishermen. A
variety of prawns, crabs, other marine living species, 119 types of birds
including swans, flamingoes, tortoises and others take shelter in this
beautiful island forest providing a hub of activity to the fishermen living
along with their families.

But a threat is seen from the encroachers, who were felling the trees for a
song. Following this large-scale egocentric steps sea erosion and fall in
the sea levels are likely to occur to the detriment of the interests of the
people.