Follow Gujarat, Bengal to preserve mangroves: Jairam Ramesh

Maharashtra government should preserve the crucial mangrove vegetation in the state which is disappearing due

to land grabbing by builder mafia and follow the example of Gujarat and West Bengal in this regard, Union

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said here today.

Gujarat has increased its mangrove cover by almost ten times which acts as protection from tsunami and similar

is the case with West Bengal, he said.

“I want that Maharashtra government and other states should take lessons from these two states and improve the

mangrove vegetation and protect their coasts,” Ramesh told reporters.

“Whether in the case of land for the proposed new airport in Navi Mumbai or taking over mangrove vegetation

by builder mafia at Dahisar, I am very much concerned and two days back I wrote to the Chief Minister of

Maharashtra about the preservation of mangroves from builders,” he said.