The Mangroves In Sindhudurg Are Being Saved, All Thanks To The Efforts Of These Incredible Women

Heading to Sindhudurg on the Western coastline of Maharashtra? Make a pitstop at Vengurla; Mandavi Creek to be exact and meet a group of women who have been aiding eco-tourism and raising awareness on mangroves. And this is their inspiring story.

Close to Sindhurgurg, the Mandavi Creek in Vengurla has been blessed with pristine water and a dense mangrove that is home to many birds, animals and reptiles. Spread over just 12 km, it is one of the richest mangroves in terms of biodiversity. Just a two-hour drive from Goa, the creek is far less known and popular to the mainstream tourists. Well, things quickly changed in 2017, when Shweta Hule, her husband, and a group of eight other women launched the Swamini Mangrove Safari in Mandavi Creek. Swamini is like a self-help group that caters towards many income-generating activities. With other members of the group, they approached the Mangrove Cell Of Maharashtra that was working with United Nations Development Programme, India on mainstreaming biodiversity in the region and presented the idea of a mangrove safari at the time. They proposed to get two boats along with life jackets and seek permission to ply the boats in the creek and aid tourism. 

Pic Credit: Mongabay

Over the past three years, the group has been under the spotlight and the increased publicity has helped in popularising the mangrove safari with tourists flocking in from all the corners of the country. So when one books a safari, it entails a ride on the rowboat (which the women row themselves) along with two women members from Swamini. One acts as a guide introducing the mangroves and educating the tourists while the other rows the boat. They help birdwatchers identify many birds like egrets, herons, storks, and cormorants among others. You’ll also come across Smooth-coated otters, mudskippers and mangrove crabs that are some of the commonly found species in the area. It also houses the only record case of the Sundari Tree in Maharashtra. How successful are these safaris? Well, close to two lakh rupees. Impressive, isn't it?

Pic Credit: The Better India

“Back when I had this idea to run a mangrove safari, all I knew then was that I wanted to take tourists on a boat ride in this creek and show them all the beautiful birds that flock here,” recalled Hule. “I didn’t know much about mangroves.” Now, she and the other members of the group closely work with the UNDP project funded by the Global Environment Facility, to take up this activity as an alternative livelihood. some of the commonly found species in the area. This project has helped them learn more about the mangroves and raise awareness of the dwindling state of affairs. We love the idea about how a group of friends, took an idea and turned into a conservation project that will help raise awareness with tourists while keeping it protected for future generations to come. So next time you’re heading to Goa or Sindhudurg, make a detour and pay these amazing women a visit and learn a bit about the mangroves in the bargain. 

News Source: Scroll