Puri: Cyclone Fani has destroyed vast flora and fauna across Odisha, Puri being the worst affected where the cyclone made landfall on May 3. In its aftermath, the State government has come up with an initiative to plant cyclone resistant trees across the sea belt to reduce the effect of cyclonic winds in future.
As per reports, since 1960, Odisha Government had planted Casuarina (Jhau) tree in straits across the beach creating a coastal shelter wall to resist Cyclone. The 1999 Super Cyclone and 2019 Fani have destroyed a big chunk of this man-made forest, subsequently weakening the resistance.
In order to replenish such plantations, government will be re-planting a large number of Casuarina trees across the Odisha coast, especially in Puri, said sources.
"Our major focus now will be plantations. There will be special scheme to resist the cyclone. Large number of Casuarina trees will be planted in the sea facing areas and other wind resistant species including fodder species and mixed species would be planted in the mid-region of the sea," informed, Chief Wildlife Warden, Ajay Kumar Mahapatro.