Nearly a hundred volunteers gathered at the famous Kodi Beach off Kundapur on Sunday to commemorate the 75th Independence Day in a unique way — by planting saplings of trees and shrubs and taking up beach cleaning.
Several organisations and NGOs, including FSL India, Lions Club, Clean Kundapura Campaign, Reef Watch, Kundapur Municipal Council, Swatch Bharat Karkala, Rail Prayanikara Hitarakshana Samithi, Forest Department, Coastal Regulation Zone Management Authority, and others joined hands in this initiative that was aimed at protecting the beachfront from sea erosion.
Divisional Conservator of Forests, Kundapur Division, Ashish Reddy led the sapling plantation drive near the Light House that had witnessed sea erosion recently. Dinesh Sarang from FSL India told The Hindu that a Miyawaki forest is being planned on nearly an acre of beachfront at the particular location to arrest further sea erosion.
While cactus plants were planted in the forefront, others, including Honne, Thare, Lemon Grass, Finifox, Kedage, Noni, Palm, Almond and creepers, have been planted offering cover to sea turtle nesting location. The organisations have plans to extend similar cover along the 2 km stretch of Kodi beach in the coming days, he added. The initiative was planned by FSL India president Rajesh S. Soans after watching the success at the nearby Beejadi beach where Karavali Friends has raised a similar but small forest.
The occasion also saw the 100th beach cleaning programme by Clean Kundapura Campaign. Volunteers collected about 50 bags of trash, including about 15 from the proposed mini forest location itself, Mr. Sarang said.
While government agencies were preparing to build a stone wall along the affected beach stretch, the NGOs prevailed upon them to desist from such a move and instead, allow raising of a natural forest cover.
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