Bhubaneswar: Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has played a shield for the people of north Odisha from the wrath of the cyclone Dana which has crossed the coast line of the state with a wind speed of 110 km per hour on Thursday midnight and remained active till Friday morning. Bhitarkanika mangrove situated in the northeastern part of the Kendrapara district, is well recognized as a famous tourist destination all over the world.
The forest officials have stated that the dense mangrove has played as a protective wall for the district of Kendrapara and Bhadrak as it blocked the wind speed from hitting the hinterland very hard which saved the places to be damaged strongly. The mangrove belt has also protected the coastal areas during the high tidal surge resulted by the tropical storm.
There are about 320 villages situated in and around the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary. Because of the hugely extensive mangrove cover the villages did not face any severe damage by the cyclone Dana. The Wild Life Sanctuary is a life savior to the Odisha’ s coastal regions from the natural disasters like so.
The mangrove cover is extended around 209 sq kilometres from which about 145 sq kilometer is within the Bhitarkanika National Park. It is one of the India ‘s most diverse ecosystems incorporated by various kinds of flora and fauna. The mangrove has also been renovated and improved to great extent post the 1999 Super cyclone. Now it has become even more of boundary shield against the storms in the protection of the hinterland.
