'Devpt & greenery need to go hand-in-hand'
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With clear waters, well-maintained sand quality and excellent safety measures, the beach has become a model for other coastal destinations in India.
However, experts have said more needs to be done in terms of including more green cover in newly developed areas where new roads and top-notch hospitality facilities have come up. "There is considerable greenery in Puri town but more needs to be done in terms of avenue plantation.
Also, joint enforcement is required to check litter of single-use plastic," M Yogajayanand, regional chief conservator of forests (Bhubaneswar circle), said.
A recent study by the State Pollution Control Board revealed that the water quality index along the coast in Puri district slipped to poor category last year from moderate quality in previous years due to heavy anthropogenic pressure and macro and microplastic pollution.
But there is visible ecological balance as the marine drive connecting Puri to Konark is dotted with tall trees and casuarina forest. This coastal road, lined with shade-providing trees and extensive casuarina plantations, offers more than just scenic beauty. "This green corridor acts as a natural barrier against coastal erosion and provides essential ecological benefits to the region," divisional forest officer (Puri) Dhanaji Magar said.
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In 2023-24, the Konark wildlife range conducted casuarina plantation over 2.5 hectares at Kurujanga forest and it planted 10,000 casuarina saplings for the coastal shelter belt at Tanadhara Udayakani beach. In 2022-23, it planted casuarina seedlings along marine drive over a 10-hectare area.
"Along the marine drive, there are species such as neem and sunari that not only provide green canopy along the entire stretch of Puri-Konark but lend an aesthetic look," said assistant conservator of forests Sambit Panda.
Conservationists, however, feel the journey towards complete environmental transformation isn't over. While established areas showcase impressive green coverage, newly developed sections and roads require extensive plantation efforts. "We are working on comprehensive plantation drives to extend the green canopy throughout the township. Now, we are managing and maintaining Blue Flag beach through outsourcing of various services.
Our motto is to keep it clean and green," Panda added.
The forest department has planned more avenue plantations along the new beach road that is devoid of any green cover at the moment. "It will take 2-3 years to develop greenery in those empty spaces. Mostly, we need shade-bearing and fast-growing species," a forest officer said.
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