L&T has planted mangroves throughout 150 hectares in Karanj and Hansot, Gujarat, via its Blue Carbon initiative. This effort has boosted farmer incomes and enhanced ecological steadiness, offering a sustainable livelihood whereas restoring biodiversity and defending the coastal atmosphere.
The coastal villages of Karanj and Katpor in Surat’s Hansot block are enveloped by a thriving mangrove forest, a lush sea of inexperienced. As soon as practically barren wasteland simply 15 years in the past, these areas have since reworked, providing villagers a sustainable livelihood and enhancing their financial well-being.
“The expansion of mangroves has helped enhance the earnings of each farmers and fishermen, with improved crop yields resulting in increased earnings. What was as soon as a barren space has now change into a thriving ecosystem, benefiting not solely the group but in addition the atmosphere. The mangroves have even attracted new species of birds and animals to the villages, including to the area’s biodiversity,” says Babubhai Rathod, former sarpanch and a resident of Karanj.
This mangrove plantation was carried out by L&T as a part of their Blue Carbon initiative — in collaboration with the Gujarat Ecology Fee (GEC) — and carried out via a community-based village organisation throughout greater than 150 hectares of land.
Accomplished in 2015, the mangroves have since change into very important to the villagers, offering assets resembling fodder, fuelwood, and supporting fishing actions. Moreover, the mangroves act as a pure barrier, stopping saltwater from encroaching on farmlands and defending crops, which in flip improves crop high quality.
L&T’s focus, in step with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) parameters, is to minimise the environmental impression of their manufacturing, operations, and processes. By inexperienced initiatives just like the Blue Carbon challenge, it’s actively working in the direction of attaining carbon neutrality by 2040.
Making waves — environmentally and economically
Mangroves are very important tropical crops that thrive in coastal ecosystems below circumstances most timber can’t tolerate. They play a vital position in storing giant quantities of carbon and defending shorelines and their inhabitants from damaging winds, waves, and floods. Moreover, mangroves assist stop salinity and seawater intrusion into agricultural areas, enhancing crop high quality and enabling farmers to thrive.
Positioned on the banks of the Tapti river, L&T began the mangrove plantation in 2009. Initially launched as a compensatory afforestation challenge to protect coastal environmental integrity close to L&T’s A M Naik Heavy Engineering Advanced in Hazira, Surat, the initiative has grown past its unique scope.
Whereas it started with the mandated 50 hectares in Mandvi taluka’s Karanj village, the constructive impression of the mangroves on the local people impressed additional enlargement of the plantation. And so, this was adopted by one other 100 hectares of land in Hansot block’s Katpor village. Each initiatives have been undertaken together with the GEC, the nodal company for such actions within the state.
In accordance with estimates by L&T, there’s a potential for nearly 20 to 30 tonnes of carbon being sequestered per hectare of land.
Mangroves play a major position within the financial actions of the local people and due to this fact, the locals from the coastal space of Katpor have been actively concerned in all the course of. The GEC collaborated with an area community-based organisation, Katpor Tamvar Vikas Samiti, to supervise the challenge. The villagers have been skilled in each facet of mangrove planting, from growing saplings to managing and sustaining the plantations. The GEC additionally raised consciousness among the many villagers concerning the environmental significance of mangroves, making certain that they have been well-equipped to handle and preserve the afforestation efforts.
Over the course of the 5 to six-year challenge, greater than 10,000 workdays have been generated, offering vital employment alternatives. Many ladies from the group performed a key position in numerous processes — together with seed assortment, guide sowing, nursery administration, and extra — contributing to each the challenge’s success and their very own financial empowerment.
“Earlier than the mangrove plantation, the world was a wasteland. Farmers confronted a tricky time as yield was low attributable to excessive salinity within the soil and salty winds resulting in crop harm,” says Rathod.
Because the plantation’s completion in 2015, it has introduced a transformative change to the lives of the farmers. In these two villages, farmers usually develop crops resembling rice, maize, pigeon pea (tuvar dal), and fruits like mangoes. The mangrove initiative has helped enhance their livelihoods and agricultural practices. “The plantation prevented saltwater from reaching the farm, stopping crop harm. The standard of crops has elevated,” says Rathod.
Mangroves additionally facilitate prawn and shrimp farming by performing as a pure barrier towards tidal surges. And moreover the advantages to the farmers, the environmental advantages of this plantation are immense. This initiative can also be enhancing coastal resilience, defending farmland from erosion, and making certain long-term environmental sustainability via carbon sequestration.
Shifting in the direction of a greater world
“The Blue Carbon initiative is a part of L&T’s bigger imaginative and prescient of working in the direction of a greater planet. Past mangroves, the corporate is working in the direction of bold environmental objectives, together with attaining carbon neutrality by 2040 (forward of the Paris Settlement) and water neutrality by 2035. The corporate has planted 4 million saplings in FY 2023-24, 2.5 million of which have been planted in August 2023 via ‘Undertaking GreenHands’ throughout 559 challenge websites,” says Anup Sahay, Head – Company Technique and Particular Initiatives, L&T.
L&T has already planted 13 million saplings to this point and continues to advance inexperienced enterprise choices, resembling clear power and mobility initiatives. As per the corporate’s Annual Report 2023-24, its inexperienced enterprise choices have helped keep away from carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of 1 million tonnes yearly from the belongings created for purchasers throughout FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23.
This mangrove challenge is a part of L&T’s broader dedication to environmental stewardship, providing promise for each communities and ecosystems. Immediately, the villagers are planting mangroves every time they’ll, informs Rathod, exemplifying the efforts in the direction of a greater future.
This text is in partnership with L&T
Edited by Pranita Bhat
