In a span of a year, all mangrove areas in Maharashtra that have not been handed over to the forest department and those with the department which have not been notified will be notified as reserved forest, proclaimed state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, reports stated.
Based on accounts, on Tuesday, July 26, Shinde was speaking at an awards ceremony organised by the Mangrove Foundation at the Sahyadri state guest house.
Earlier the state had notified 1,463 hectares of mangroves in Uran Taluka, Mhasala Taluka in Raigad and Andheri taluka of Mumbai suburban district, narratives mentioned.
According to reports, these mangroves have been notified as reserved forests by the Maharashtra government in Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act. Officials were quoted in accounts elaborating on how 1,090 hectares are in Uran taluka, 345 hectares are in Mhasala taluka, whilst 27 hectares are in Andheri taluka. With this, the aggregate notified mangrove area in Maharashtra has reportedly increased to 19,479 hectares.
Earlier, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) decided to give 1,014 hectares of mangroves to the Maharashtra forest department for safekeeping. Previously, the JNPT was penalised by the judiciary-appointed mangrove protection and conservation committee was negatively impacting almost 4,500 mangroves for its container terminal-4 port expansion project.
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