23-member body to help conserve around 30,000 hectares of land along 720-km coast
Mumbai : The state government has decided to set up a separate mangrove protection authority to protect mangrove forests of around 30,000 hectares of land along 720-km long coastline.
“The decision was needed for the effective conservation of the mangrove forests and to bring positive changes in the lives of coastal population,” forests minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told FPJ.
“As per the directives of the state wildlife board Navi Mumbai International Airport Authority has given 3% of the project cost to the department of forests for conservation of mangrove forests. Setting up of a separate authority with this corpus fund would ensure that the amount is being spent for the purpose it was meant for,” Mungantiwar said.
The Mangrove Protection Authority will play a major role in conservation of coastal biodiversity and livelihood options based on it, employment and tourism etc., he added.
The new authority would be a 23-member body with chief minister as the patron and forest minister as chairman. Chief conservator of forests (mangroves) would act as the secretary of the authority. A nine-member working committee too has been constituted for quicker action in this regard, the minister said.
Along the 720 km of coastline, the state has mangrove forests over 29,839 hectares of which 16,554 hectares belong to the state government while 13,285 hectares belong to private owners.
The authority would undertake programmes related to mangrove-based livelihood options such as mud crab aquaculture, beekeeping etc. It would also engage itself in research and awareness activities related to conservation of mangroves and put them to better use from the point of view of tourism, the minister said.
