The Odisha government has approved a livelihood action plan worth Rs 261 crore for the regeneration of the coastal ecosystem and to enhance climate resilience among people living on the coast.
The government has decided to implement this community-based action plan from the current year till 2026-27. This was decided in the steering committee of the Integrated Coastal Management Society (ICZMS) meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra here on Monday.
Project Director ICZMS Sushanta Nanda said that interventions would be rolled out from the current year and would be completed by 2026-27. ”An amount of Rs 261.50 crore would be invested in the coastal livelihood action plan,” he said.
The main coastal landscapes to be treated under the project and would include areas like Talsari in Balasore district, Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district, Bahuda and Chilika in Ganjam district, and Devi Mouth, Chilika in Puri district. Around 3,75,321 hectares of coastal area spread over 339-gram panchayats and five forest divisions would be included in the action plan, Nanda said.
The project would contribute to the ongoing efforts of the state government in addressing the impacts of climatic hazards and disasters on the vulnerable coastal communities through the popularisation of the climate adaptive livelihood activities, Nanda said.
Community-based organizations, NGOs, eco-clubs, women self-help groups, and local village communities would be involved in the planning, execution, and carrying forward of the intervention, he said.
Earlier, a study had revealed that as many as 91 villages along the coast are highly vulnerable to sea erosion while 85 others are prone to such incidents. A total of 318 villages spread over six coastal districts face the threat of sea erosion, official sources said.
Keeping in view the threat including sea erosion to the coastline area, the chief secretary directed authorities to focus on the regeneration of the coastal ecosystem and the promotion of climate resilient sustainable livelihood in the coastal communities.
Mohapatra directed officials to prepare the annual action plan in consultation with the respective communities. He also directed to prioritize the villages that generally face climate-induced calamities over the years.
It was also decided to increase the density of mangrove forest and seagrass for enriching the coastal ecosystem to reduce the impact of tidal surges and storms said the additional chief secretin chargearge of revenue and disaster management secretary SB Sahoo.
The chief secretary also asked officials to explore all possible places for the development of eco-tourism with boating and wildlife watching facilities on the coast.
