Sunday, January 2 2005 15:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Tiruchirappalli: Mother Nature has helped man in saving him from its own fury. Casuarina Equisetifolia planted along a stretch of the coast had helped in smothering the impact of the deadly sea waves, which created havoc last week, according to forest department officials.

The trees raised in 500 hectares of land between Kodiampalayam and Vedaranyam to shield the region from cyclonic storms had helped in checking the impact of the Tsunami waves in the belt, according to forest Department officials.

The plantations, which were being raised since 1999 in Nagapattinam district had helped in protecting the Railway track between Nagapattinam and Nagore as a column of such trees insulated the track from sea attack.

Even the damage suffered by villages covered by the Casuarina tree was of lesser degree.

Chokkanadar Kovil, which had a long stretch of Casuarina trees protected the residents from the deadly waves. Even the houses remained unscathed.

However, in the process of protecting human beings and its properties some fresh trees fell victims to the Tsunami waves.