Odisha: Time to Conserve, Before Nature Becomes Unforgiving

It can be said in Odisha’s context that nature has been so over exploited that it has started speaking out.

The conservation of nature in all its aspects has remained so little in comparison to its destruction that not a year passes when people do not face its wrath; be it tropical cyclones, tornadoes, hurricanes or floods that worsen the life cycle of human, flora and fauna.              

“With a 480-km-long coastline along the Bay of Bengal, the state has to weather a huge number of tidal invasions, when the coastline remains without minimal defence against the calamities spun from the sea,” said Biswajit Mohanty, an environmental activist who has been working on nature conservation in many aspects.

Coastal Conservation and Mangrove Restoration

Odisha has been actively participating in the Central government's MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme. By December 2024, the state had planned to plant mangroves on an additional 632 hectares by 2025–26. The scheme focuses on vulnerable coastal districts, such as like Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Balasore to bolster defence against cyclones and sea erosion.  

It may be very late in the day, but Odisha has finally woken up to certain realities. For 2024-2025, the state has allocated Rs. 27 crore for conservation of Bhitarkanika and mangrove restoration.

“When people come to the forefront to face the challenges, working shoulder to shoulder with official agencies to conserve Mangroves, then dismay turns into hope for reinforcing the coastal boarders”, adds Mohanty.

Environmentalist Scripts History After Super Cyclone

Bijay Kumar Kabi, an environmentalist from Kendrapara district, has led a successful community effort to create 25-acres of mangrove forest in the village of Badakot over 12 years. After witnessing the devastating impact of the 1999 super cyclone and the subsequent coastal erosion, he mobilised villagers to plant mangroves, which now act as a robust natural barrier against cyclones and tidal surges, also providing livelihood to the local community.

Another youth, a climate change advocate and founder of the Odisha Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan (OPSA) Trust, Soumya Ranjan Biswal, has been instrumental in mobilising local fishing and coastal communities, particularly women, for mangrove conservation efforts in Puri and Kendrapara districts. His work has resulted in the restoration of over 1.2 lakh hectares of mangroves and has earned him recognition, including being appointed as a United Nations’ India Yuvah Advocate.

Women Power in Action

Nalini Kandi and other women from the village of Jhadling and other coastal areas are actively involved in collecting mangrove seeds, nurturing saplings in nurseries, and planting them along the coastline.

The women work in groups, often receiving a modest honorarium from OPSA, and their efforts have been crucial in protecting their villages from environmental disasters, such as cyclones and floods.

A ‘Green’ Warrior

:A young "green warrior" from Puri, Rahul Maharana, received the National Youth Award for his work on mangrove restoration and beach cleanup efforts in Astaranga, near the mouth of the Devi River. 

These efforts, often involving donation of private land and significant community participation, highlight the critical role individuals play in protecting Odisha's vulnerable coastline. 

The spread of mangrove forests in Bhitarkanika National Park is a telling example of how a few factors can play a big role in conservation. All along the long tidal creek, thick mangroves stand as sentinels in which the role of over ,1200 salt-water crocodiles, the flag-ship animals of the park, cannot be ignored. They, in fact, do the job of protectors as their presence keeps many wrong-doers at bay.   

Better Late Than Never

Based on reports from 2024 and 2025, special news on conservation in Odisha includes the creation of a new tiger reserve, a pioneering elephant survival centre, significant green restoration projects to battle tidal storms from the Bay of Bengal, and community-based ecotourism initiatives to encourage greater peoples' participation. 

Odisha has long shared an inseparable relationship with major cyclones. In fact, the state’s geographic location makes it more vulnerable to tropical tidal invasions in the form of cyclones, deep depressions.

All said and done now, the time has come for official agencies and people to take up the responsibility to work for conservation so that a major defence can be created against the oceanic wrath.   

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Odisha with over 40 years’ experience in the profession.