Tsunami struck India in December 2004 affecting primarily the eastern peninsular region or Coromandel coast and Sri Lanka. In India, the states of Tamil Nadu and Puduchchery were most affected. As part of the rehabilitation and restoration program that followed, tree plantation to establish a green buffer was deemed essential. While river-mouths were planted with mangrove species –in several places along the coast, independent initiatives were taken to plant trees. Such initiatives mostly involved planting a single or few, mostly exotic species. However, old historical records claim that the coastline had Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF). This was in a stark contrast with the current condition – of sandy coastline devoid of any trees. Auroville Coastal Area Development Council (ACDC), a temporary body responsible for post-Tsunami interventions commissioned Shakti Nursery in Auroville to carry out an experimental implementation project in the three coastal villages of Anumanthai, Nochikuppam, and Chettinagar located in Tamil Nadu, close to Puducherry. This involved among other things planting a mix of diverse species – including TDEF species, non-TDEF indigenous species along with some exotics, to initially protect the plantation from ocean spray, and help built the habitat that would eventually favor the indigenous species.
Results/Conclusions
Methods were tested and fine-tuned including sourcing the seeds, setting up and tending the saplings, zoning the plants, using appropriate soil mix, caring – including watering and providing rudimentary bio-degradable tree-guards as protection from grazing. The area was periodically monitored feeding in to the adaptive management, while constant dialogue was maintained with the local people. Post planting, for two years saplings were watered once a week. If survey revealed mortality – compensatory planting, to replace the dead sapling with another of the same/different species, was done. In 2008, as the plantations got established in 3+years, they were handed over to the villagers. In December 2017, a rapid survey was conducted in each of the three villages to check if the planted areas exist and if they do, to get an idea of the current species composition. Each site hosted a healthy growth with a clear green line established as per the original plan. Together they hosted >50 tree species. Some of the most dominant ones were Bauhinia racemosa, Millettia pinnata, Casuarina equisetifolia, Azadirachta indica, Coccoloba uvifera, and Albizia lebbeck.