The Hindu : National : Rains have to reduce salinity in tsunami-hit areas

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Friday, Jan 28, 2005

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Rains have to reduce salinity in tsunami-hit areas

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 27 .The salinity in tsunami-hit costal areas would have to be leached out by subsequent rains and this could take two to three years. Some chemicals like aluminium and iron, which became toxic to plants, would have to be neutralised through liming and fish culture , agriculture experts here say.

According to the Deputy Director-General of the Natural Resource Management Division of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, J.S. Samra, the exact damage in the affected areas had not been assessed as the focus was on dealing with casualties so far.

To discuss the impact of natural disasters and look for solutions, the Indian Society of Soil Science has organised a four-day `International conference on soil, water and environmental quality— issues and strategies,' beginning here tomorrow. Top agriculture scientists and experts from India and 30 countries will participate in the meet..

It would focus on how best to reduce the impact of disasters. It is by now well-known that mangroves along the coastline "killed" tsunami waves and saved thousands of lives. Likewise coconut trees could also take on the impact.

Just as mangroves "kill waves," shelterbelts — vegetation of small bushes followed by medium bushes and high trees— could "kill winds" and keep sand away along canals, roads and railway lines in arid areas.

If casuarinas were good for coastal regions, then acacia was suitable for shelterbelts.

The scientist warned that because of global warming, glaciers were melting and there was threat of the sea-level rising by a metre in the next 100 years. "As a result many islands and coastal areas may be submerged causing large-scale dislocation of populations besides changes in the course of rivers."

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