A group of students of Sree Krishna College, Guruvayur, are on a mission to protect coastal belts that are under great threat of sea erosion because of high tidal waves and rising sea level.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) units of Sree Krishna College, Guruvayur, and the Social Forestry Division of the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department, are jointly planting palmyra seeds on the beaches of Chavakkad that are facing severe coastal erosion.
Emulating Tamil Nadu
“The Tamil Nadu government has been implementing a project to plant palmyra for coastal protection and this is the first such project in Kerala,” said Thrissur Social Forestry Deputy Forest Conservator B. Sajeesh Kumar. In addition to benefits such as groundwater conservation and erosion prevention, value-added products are also available from palmyra, he said. Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) is the State tree of Tamil Nadu.
Under the project ‘Thaalaphalam’, which was started on World Environment Day in 2021, the students have already planted 2,500 palmyra seeds. “The objective of the project is to protect palm trees and to highlight their importance in environmental conservation. The trees can stop soil erosion. They are salt- and drought-tolerant and help combat desertification. Studies have shown that palmyra can decrease the atmospheric temperature and pollution,” says NSS programme officer K.S. Midhun.
Roots that store water
In contrast to other palm trees that have a fibrous root system, palmyra has a tap root system that shoots straight downward vertically. It can store a huge volume of water in its tubular roots and increases the water table level in the area. Thus, it can turn an arid land fertile with groundwater resources, according to a study published in the International Journal of Modern Trends in Engineering and Science.
The study pointed out that large-scale damage to ecosystem, agriculture, and livelihood caused by Cyclone Thane at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu in 2011 could have been controlled if the natural barriers of palmyra had not been cut. Many palmyra trees stood strong even against the tsunami and Cyclone Gaja, while many other trees and buildings collapsed. It can block and reduce the speed of storms and prevent soil erosion. Cultivation of more plants around waterbodies will improve the groundwater table, the study noted. This prompted the Tamil Nadu government to replant a large number of palmyra.
The students also planted palmyra trees in Randukai forest area, Kandanasseri, Pariyaram forest, Ponmala, Anapantham, and Cheruchakkichola forest areas as well as on their college premises.
“We have sent a request to the government to extend the project to other parts of the State too,” said Mr. Midhun.
