Noted environmentalist Kallen Pokkudan, who played a crucial role in planting mangroves in various parts of Kerala, has died at the age of 78 due to age-related ailments. He was undergoing treatment at Cherukunnu Mission hospital for the past few days. He had been involved in planting mangroves in different parts of the state since 1989 and had been motivating others in the same direction.

He planted thousands of mangrove saplings in his nearby wetlands in a mission to save the environment. His initiative had spread a revolution among the state and accentuated the importance of environment conservation.

The Kerala Government had honored him with awards like ‘Vanamithra’ and ‘Haritha Vyakthi’ for his environmental crusade. Pokkudan had also acted in a feature film, ‘Papilio Buddha’ directed by US-based Malayalee filmmaker Jaya Cherian. He had also started ‘mangrove school’ to train the young generation about the importance of its conservation.

What are Mangroves?

• Mangroves are buffers between the land and the sea.
• Shrub and tree species that live along shores, rivers, and estuaries in the tropics and subtropics are called Mangroves.
• There are 80 described species of mangroves, 60 of which live exclusively on coasts between the high- and low-tide lines.
• Purify the water by absorbing impurities and harmful heavy metals and help us to breathe a clean air by absorbing pollutants  in the air.
• The Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world, covering parts of Bangladesh’s Khulna Division and the Indian state of West Bengal.
• The Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger.