Mangroves prevented saltwater ingress during Nisarga, Tauktae cyclones: Study

Mangroves in various creeks played a major role in stabilising and protecting sediments and acted as an adequate buffer to minimise damage due to water inundation in the nearby habitats. “Compared to the non-mangrove areas, the mangrove vegetation received less damage in moderate and high impact classes, suggesting the vital role of mangroves during cyclones, except for the Velas-Bankot cluster in Ratnagiri district,” it said.

This is the first such integrative study in in the state. Similar impact assessment studies on mangroves have been conducted on the east coast of India, which is vulnerable to cyclones. The study was commissioned by the state government’s Mangrove Foundation last year to gauge how effective the mangrove patches in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts were in restricting or preventing damage to the coastline by the Nisarga and Tauktae cyclones that hit the state’s coastline in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Tauktae, an extremely severely cyclonic storm wreaked havoc in the Raigad district. According to official records, it caused damage to 11,144 houses and 15,00 hectares of farmland, mainly mango, coconut and paddy. The cyclone also damaged 2,542 structures partially, while a few were destroyed in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Kolhapur and Satara.