India’s 94.82% Mangrove cover is in Gujarat,and it’s growing

Gujarat’s mangrove cover has risen sharply in over 55 sq km area during the last two years as per the data of Forest Survey of India (FSI).

The FSI data of 2007 released recently shows that the total increase in mangrove cover in India is 58 sq km out of which Gujarat’s contribution is 55 sq km.

Increase in mangrove cover is quiet a turnaround for Gujarat where the cover was depleting in the later parts of 1990s.

The FSI said, of the 4,639 sq km area of mangrove plantation in the country, Gujarat covered 1,046 sq km in 2007 compared with 991 sq km in 2005.

The report stated that Gujarat showed an increase in mangrove cover mainly because of plantation and protection measures taken by the state.

“This data is up to the year 2007. In the year 2008 and 2009, we have added another 30 sq km areas of mangrove cover to protect the coastal sand erosion at the coast,” the Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment Department of the State, Mr S.K. Nanda said.

More plantation in pipe line

The Central government has approved mangrove plantation on 12,000 hectares land to stop coastal erosion, reducing the impact of industrial pollution, and fight global climate change. The Gujarat government will spend Rs 250 crore in next seven months on planting mangrove saplings and coral reef along the coastline at Surat and Navsari in South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch. While eighty per cent of it would be contributed by the Centre. The rest would be borne by the state. Gujarat Forests and Environment Department, Gujarat State Pollution Control Board, GEER Foundation and Gujarat Ecology Commission will execute the project jointly. The sapling plantation on the target areas would be complete by July, before monsoon arrives in the state.

Complete report on Mangrove by FSI 2009

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