Dwarka has been submerged in the sea six times in its history. Environment specialists agree that restoring mangroves will help protect the coastline, support the shore life and beautify the area.

ww.Grow-Trees.com – a website that facilitate individuals and companies to plant trees – has launched a mangrove project at the famous Rukshmani temple creek site in Dwarka, in association with Tata Chemicals as a planting partner.

The project aims to restore the mangrove cover on 50 acres of inter-tidal mudflats in Dwarka. Members of the local communities have been trained in mangrove nursery practices and seedlings of the “Avicennia marina” mangrove species have been raised. By involving the participation of the local community, the objective is to restore the ecological balance in the coastal areas of this region.

Of all the plant communities, the mangrove forests are, perhaps, amongst the least understood, admired and visited habitats of our wilderness. The mangrove ecosystems are considered to be one of the most productive and complex of our coastal ecosystems. Mangroves play an important role in filtering land run-off and controlling coastal erosion; they regulate flooding and act as sinks for absorbing pollutants brought down by rivers. Mangroves provide a critical habitat for many marine species and terrestrial wildlife – the mangrove zones serve as a spawning ground and nursery for many finfish and shellfish species. Waterfowl readily take to the mangroves for roosting and nesting. The “Sunderban” mangroves are well known as a refuge for our fast dwindling tiger population. Worldwide, a number of coastal communities depend on the mangroves for their livelihood. It is estimated that mangrove forests once occupied almost seventy five percent of the tropical coasts the world over. Unfortunately, this has now been reduced to less than fifty percent of their original spread. The losses have largely been attributed to anthropogenic pressures such as over-exploitation for timber and fuel wood; land reclamation for development purposes like aquaculture, salt production, ports and construction; pollution; and the alteration in salinity levels of the water and soil due to damming of rivers.

Restoration of mangroves has started receiving attention in the recent times. Decline in fishery resources, livelihood threats to coastal communities, the progressive increase in coastal erosion and the subsequent salinity ingress,etc. have all spurred interest in mangrove conservation.

Grow-Trees partners with Tata Chemicals Ltd. on this project which will implement it through the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development in its capacity as member of the UN’s initiative, “Mangroves For Future (MFF)”.

Grow-Trees was launched on World Environment Day, June 5, 2010. Since then, about 52,000 trees have been planted through the site.