Mangrove replanting on Northern Islands

My former Personal Security Officer (PSO), Commander Chathura Gamage, RSP and five Bars, injured Officer from elite Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron, has an MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing from Peradeniya University, gave me a call with much delight: “ Sir, it’s working ! I can see our Jaffna islands growing in size ! I will send you the Google pictures soon.

- BY ADMIRAL RAVINDRA C WIJEGUNARATNE

I was very happy. A small project we started in 2011 in the Northern islands, Karainagar, Eluvativu, Analativu, Nayanativu (Nagadeepa), Punkudativu, Kytes and Mandativu was yielding the desired results after 10 years.

In 2011, we observed the mangroves on islands systematically were destroyed by some individuals, who did not care about their ecological value, for illegal income. As there was a shortage of firewood, especially at bakeries in the Jaffna mainland, the mangroves were cut for firewood. Mangrove wood is ideal for bakeries as this hardwood gives a lot of charcoal. We would see bicycles carrying large loads of dry mangrove wood from the islands to the mainland, along causeways.