Mangroves Vital to Mitigating Cyclone Impact: Expert

He said that mangroves have repeatedly proven their ability to reduce the intensity of gale winds and tidal waves during severe storms, citing the Coringa mangrove forests as a prime example. “Mangroves act as natural barriers, absorbing the force of winds and waves, thereby minimising coastal damage during cyclones,” he explained.

Thupalli noted that the Godavari mangroves, spread over an area of 316 sq. km, had effectively subdued wave impact during the 1996 cyclone in Coringa. The mangrove stretch currently extends from Hope Island to the southern end of East Godavari district, forming a critical coastal defence line.

He added that the mangrove cover has significantly increased due to community participation in restoration and protection programmes led by the Forest Department, in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, which he heads along with senior scientist R. Subramanian.

Thupalli called for continued public and institutional efforts to expand mangrove plantations to safeguard Andhra Pradesh’s coastal belt from future cyclonic disasters.