Cyclone Dana: Forest cover ‘loss’ may make coastal villages more vulnerable in Odisha

As cyclone Dana nears Odisha, concerns rise over the vulnerability of coastal villages. Environmentalist Hemant Rout claims prawn farms have replaced mangrove forests, endangering 1 lakh people in 45 villages around Bhitarkanika. Mangroves, crucial for storm protection, were illegally cleared. Action against prawn farms has seen 400 acres dismantled this year.