1,471 hectares of mangroves notified as ‘reserve forests’

These mangroves in Navi Mumbai were notified as “protected forests” in 2008 as per a 2005 High Court directive to map and notify mangroves.  While limited human activity is permitted in “protected forest” areas, once a forest settlement officer settles claims of all inhabitants in “reserved forests”, all human activity is strictly prohibited.

In June last year, the state decided to notify all mangroves on government land as reserved forests’.  Accordingly, the mangrove cell had sent the proposal seeking notification of these mangroves to the Thane collector P Velrasu’s office “two months ago”, said Vasudevan.

anjali.lukose@expressindia.com