The life-saving mangroves of Pichavaram
- Samyuktha K
- Jul 6, 2017
- 3 min read
The oars swished through the green waters as the sun looked down upon us on a particularly hot day in Pichavaram. Our boatman, whose name we would learn as Raja later on, has been working at the mangrove for years. He has ferried many tourists up and down those waters, despite the measly commission he gets over the Tourism Department tickets sold for the rides. The amount of energy it takes to row a boat up and down water in high and low tides isn't a easy job, but what makes it harder is the money they get paid for it. But those thoughts don't follow you for too long once you lose sight of the land and are craving to be engulfed by the trees in the narrow canals.
"After the 2004 tsunami hit, all the people in the surrounding villages were saved cause of this mangrove. It absorbed all the waves in," Raja told us. Although his tone was of rather matter of fact, the truth that he is indebted to the forests for today was evident too.
The water in these mangroves are generally two feet to five feet, depending on the high tide and low tide which in turn depends on the time of the day and the cycle of the moon. "I can never forget the day (after the tsunami), the mangroves were completely submerged in water. We could only see the tops of the trees. The leaf tips, rather. At least 5,000 lives were saved by this very space. That is why these mangroves are called 'Alayaathi Kaadu', which means forests that stopped the tidal waves," he says.
He then gleams with gratitude and a hint of pride about the mangroves that are such a huge part of his life as he adds, "Now they are planning to extend the mangroves for at least around 30 kms." Later, when I'd read that the mangroves were felled to set up shrimp farms before the tsunami, it was another one of thumping reiterations of human folly. Shrimp farms are still a threat to the mangroves.
As the boat passes by a mangrove, Raja plucks this complex apparatus looking part of the tree. He explains, "They (Government) now come to collect these here to take them and plant elsewhere. It has a seed inside, you use the stalk to plant, and this bulb like thing you see is... what you can say... protection (he lets out a laugh and offers the seed pod).
"The end of his story gives way to silence, like a well-thought-out pause to let the divinity of nature at that very spot sink it.
How to reach Pichavaram...
We got there from Pondicherry on a bike. We rode about 65 kms early in the morning to reach Chidambaram for an unexpected darshan of the Lord Nataraja on a chariot. Then, rode back towards the bypass, to take a small diversion for a total of about 15 kms to reach the mangroves. You can do the same journey on local buses. Or you can also take a bus from Chennai. The 200-250 kms journey can be done overnight. Or opt for an outstation cab at about 16 rps per kms. It's quiet an economic option from Pondicherry.
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