Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 16 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has mocked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her suggestion of planting mangrove saplings in the hills to prevent floods in the northern part of the state.
Her suggestion came on Wednesday when she was addressing an administrative review meeting in Darjeeling amid the recent floods and landslides that have devastated the hill, Terai and Dooars regions of north Bengal.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s suggestions for plantation of mangroves in the hills, Adhikari taunted in a post on social media that he nominates Mamata Banerjee for the next Nobel Prize in Geography and Botany for her historic and game-changing idea – Mangroves in the Mountains!!!”
The official explained that mangroves are a special type of salt-tolerant trees that usually grow in salty and brackish water in coastal areas near the sea.
He said that mangrove forests or tidal forests act as shields of nature, whose role in coastal protection, providing habitat for biodiversity and combating climate change is immeasurable.
“It is like a living defense system for the coastal areas. This unique ecosystem protects the coastal areas from deadly waves, storms, cyclones and other marine problems. And this muddy brackish wetland is the habitat of many insects, fishes, reptiles, birds and other creatures,” the official said.
He said that if the Chief Minister’s suggestion of planting mangroves in the hills of North Bengal is implemented, the topography of the hills may deteriorate.
“The people of West Bengal are eagerly waiting for the situation to change in West Bengal. Our state is becoming a laughing stock in front of the entire country due to its stupidity,” the official claimed.
Addressing the administrative review meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister once again accused the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of being responsible for the flood situation in West Bengal and advised the central unit to either carry out regular dredging or destroy its dams in the state.
Addressing an administrative review meeting in Darjeeling, Mamata Banerjee said, “You can’t really play with nature. You have to let the river flow its own way. So either do proper dredging or destroy your dams.”
–IANS
source/svn