Mangrove Nursery as Livelihood Option

Mangroves are vital for coastal ecosystems. Mangrove forests protect freshwater resources
against salt water intrusion; protect land from eroding waves and wind; and stabilize the
coastal land. Mangrove forests can be considered as natural barrier protecting the life and
property of coastal communities from storms and cyclones.

The Paribartan project was

designed to increase
mangrove cover in the target
area. As a part of the
Community Risk and
Vulnerability Analysis (CRVA)
exercise conducted by the
villagers, lack of or depleted
mangrove cover was cited as
vulnerability, particularly for
villages very close to the sea.
This was also pointed out by
the baseline study.
Consequently it was decided
to procure mangrove saplings
and plant them along the
coast.

Initially 4,500 mangrove saplings were procured from a NGO in the nearby district of
Kendrapara and planted at the Naupal village of Kusupur Panchayat at Balikuda block of
Jagatsinghpur district. Unfortunately the saplings were adversely affected by Cyclone Phailin
that occurred within a few months of the plantation activity. The saplings that survived did
not grow well. The varieties planted were Sinduka and Bani.

Careful consideration was

given to the next phase of
mangrove plantation. This
time it was decided to plant
more trees. The failure of the
first phase could not be
attributed entirely to the
Cyclone as the saplings that
survived failed to grow
satisfactorily. The way out, it
was felt, was to grow saplings
locally. The idea also
appealed because setting up
of a mangrove nursery would
also provide a new set of
skills for the target
community and would also provide a livelihood option for families. The GPC’s in the coastal
villages were a part of the consultation process and the idea was greeted positively. The
GPC identified 5 households in the hamlet of Naupal in Tentulibelari village and a resolution
was passed to enable them to participate in the venture. The prime reason for the selection
was that these families have experience with mangrove nurseries having worked on two
projects of the MSSRF and the Forest Department in the past.

A suitable patch of land was identified by the side of the River. Mangrove saplings can grow
only if the tide carrying water from the sea floods the land twice a day. The land should be
such that the tidewater should pass over without collecting for a long time. The particular
patch of land selected was ideal for the purpose.

The five families who were selected by the Gram Paribartan Committee (GPC) to participate
in the venture were represented by their female members;

1. Ms Alka Giri
2. Ms Jayanti Das
3. Ms Manjulata Khanda
4. Ms Bhagabati Mandal
5. Ms Susama Patra

Ms Manjulata Khanda, aged around 35, is a housewife and is better off compared to her
peers. Her family of four consists of her husband and three children; two girls and one boy.
While the girls attend college, the boy studies in the 10 th class. The family owns three acres
of land and they cultivate paddy in 1 acre and the rest lies fallow because of their poor
economic status and also the problem with availability of water for cultivation. Paddy
cultivation keeps them busy for five months in a year, June to July, when they sow the
saplings and November to December when they harvest the crop. From the one acre of land
they get 900kg of paddy which they sell for Rs. 10/- or 11/- a kilo.

Learning from Project Paribartan

she has developed a homestead
garden where she cultivates
greens, ladies finger, bitter gourd,
poi (a creeper), jhudanga, jonny,
and potato. However water
availability is a problem. It is viable
only in the rainy season. In the rest
of the year the water is saline. For
drinking water she has to travel
3kms at least twice a week. To
meet her family needs she works
as a daily labourer in the fields of
others.

The Gram Paribartan Committee (GPC) members of Tentulibelari say, “We do not have
suitable common land which is flooded twice a day. Therefore we approached the Forest
Department when we found such a forest land. The Officials of the Forest Department
readily gave us verbal permission to set up the mangrove nursery and also encouraged us.
The forest beat workers visited sometimes to watch the proceedings. They were happy that
mangrove plantation work was being taken up.”

One of the project participants Ms Alka Giri, aged around 30 years, mentions that, “We have
the experience of setting up of a mangrove nursery earlier in the year 2002. The M S
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) was involved. The nursery was set up in a land
that was earlier used as a salt quarry. To prepare the land and provide water we dug a canal
and 172 feeder canals. Slowly the land became usable. We tried to continue with the
nursery after the first year but certain department officials did not keep their promises to
purchase saplings from us.”

The project participants as they are called were informed in detail about the arrangements.
They would be employed for a period of seven to eight months. They would be paid for all
their efforts and also for fencing of the nursery land. During the period of supervision they
would be paid as per daily wages as approved by the Government of Odisha. For supervision
each family was given Rs. 168/- per day for 26 days work in a month. One family member
would be supervising for 26 days in a month. As all their input costs would be paid by the
project, the saplings would be the property of the project once they were ready for
plantation.

Accordingly 25 decimals of land were utilized for the nursery. A total of 27,500 saplings
were planted against the target of 25,000 to insure against probable losses. The five
households maintained five beds each and therefore there were 25 beds. Each bed
contained 5500 saplings.

Sl Name Name of Husband Beds Saplings

1 Ms Alka Giri Suratha Giri 1,2,3,4,5 5500
2 Ms Jayanti Das Gurupada Das 6,7,8,9,10 5500

3 Ms Manjulata Khanda Satyaranjan Khanda 11,12,13,14,15 5500

4 Ms Bhagabati Mandal Satyaranjan Mandal 16,17,18,19,20 5500

5 Ms Susama Patra (widow) 21,22,23,24,25 5500

Total 25 Beds 27,500

Out of the beds, 17 were devoted to Bani, six to Kaliachua and two to Rai. These were the
local species known to survive and grow.

Ms Alka Giri detailed the process. “At first we cleared the land of weeds. Then we had to
straighten the land for the nursery. We created 25 beds for the nursery. The canal for inflow
and outflow and also the feeder canals were dug. We then fenced the entire plot of land
using slit bamboo and wires.”
“The seeds were collected from the river
bed as they came floating from the
mangroves,” said Sushama Patra. “We
have planted the species of Bani, Rai and
Kaliachua. The process of collecting the
seeds and then selecting the suitable
seeds requires great patience and effort,
and also knowledge about which seed
would survive,” she said. “During the
supervision process we have to do
weeding and watch the growth of the
plants besides protecting them from crabs
that may come in with the tides.”

“The seedlings were placed in polythene packets filled with mud and placed in the beds.
This was very painstaking work as we were dealing with 27,500 seedlings. All our family
members, including our husbands were engaged in the work right from the very beginning.
We wanted the work to be a success.”

“As we had previous experience, the work proceeded smoothly,” said Gurupada Das,
husband of Ms Jayanti Das. “Supervision is very important as crabs tend to eat the seedlings.
It is also necessary to do the weeding work regularly and also take care that the main and
feeder canals do not get clogged. We were very happy that all the seedlings planted
survived and grew into healthy saplings.”

“This work provided us employment in our own area. Our agricultural lands are saline
infested and we have to migrate outside in search of work leaving our families behind. Our
women folk have to take up work as daily labour. But due to this project activity we all could
stay and work together,” said Ms Jayanti Das.

Work on the mangrove nursery continued for 9 months since October 2014. It required
three months for setting up the nursery and then six months of supervision. The plantation
work began in July 2015 and ended in August.

Costs Incurred
Sl No Component Amount (Rs) Remarks
1 Land clearing, earth work, seedling 11,400
collection, drain work
2 Fencing (bamboo & wires, labour) 15729
3 Polythene for seedlings (100 kg) 22500
4 Daily wages for supervision 131040 Rs. 168/- per day for
26 days in month, to
5 families for 6
months
5 Transport for plantation
The plantation work was undertaken by the community. The transport charges were
supported by the project. “It was a challenge to cut the thorny shrub that inhabited the
plantation site,” says a member of the plantation group. “However we are very happy that
we have a new mangrove cover for our villages.”

“Around 75-80% of the saplings have survived and will grow. This is a huge success. During
the MSSRF mangrove plantation process around 50% had survived,” says Surath Giri.

The families behind the mangrove nursery initiative are happy. But they need assured
purchase before they can continue the venture.