Tamil Nadu develops 2km coastal bioshield in Cuddalore to protect from sea-level rise, erosion
According to a social media update by Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Tamil Nadu Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, the living coastal shelter belt is spread over 45 hectares and is about 300 meters wide. The project was designed to protect the villages of Akkaraikori, Singarathope and Sonankuppam from natural coastal threats.
The bioshield has been scientifically designed and deployed under the state government’s Green Tamil Nadu and Climate Change Mission. According to the picture written on the X branch, it has a diverse mix of vegetation, including 30,000 Palmyrah trees and 1,00,000 Casuarina saplings, which act as primary windbreaks.
Additionally, the belt contains 28,000 mangrove saplings and about 2,000 tall, coastal-hardy native species, he added.
Sahu described the initiative as a living green guardian rather than a concrete wall. After the successful implementation in Cuddalore, a similar project is currently being developed in Tuticorin.
