Shelter Belts against Storms and Cyclones on the Coast

The characteristic sand dune formation and the nature's assertive activity to stabilize the drifting sands and dunes are in evidence along the sea coast. Mangrove forests at estuaries and dry evergreen forests along the coast contain the storms and protect the fields from invading sands. But the constantly rising mud flats cause the disappearence of estuarine forests and the man's need and greed result in the degardation of dry evergreen forests. Some protection from drifting coastal sands is afforded to the cultivation by the plantations of Casuarina raised on a small scale. Only about 10% of the coast length in Andhra Pradesh is thus covered by Forest plantations. To arrest sand drift from dry river beds in the hinter lands, wind belt plantations of Prosopis were raised in forties and fifties. The priniciples and aerodynamics of 'Shelter belts' are discussed and the damage caused by the 'Killer' cyclone of East Coast in November, 1977 is indicated, the need to raise a green belt of trees along the coast to minimise damage by the cyclone is emphasised and the technique of planting suggested.