India adds 112 sq. km. to Mangrove Cover

According to the latest report of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), India has recorded a net increase of 112 sq. km. of mangroves forest. The earlier FSI report in 2013 had recorded a net decrease of 34 sq. km. of mangrove forest.

According to the latest report, the overall mangrove cover in the country stands at 4,740 sq. km., which is 0.14 sq. km. of India’s overall geographical area.

There are only 12 States and Union Territories along the country’s coastline that can boast of mangroves.

West Bengal, which has a total mangrove cover of 2,106 sq. km., accounts for 44.5%, the highest in the country. It is followed by Gujarat with about 1,107 sq. km. Andaman and Nicobar islands also has a considerable mangrove forest cover with 617 sq. km. of it.

The highest increase in the mangrove cover as per the FSI 2015 is from Maharashtra, which has added 36 sq. km.

As per the report, the very dense mangrove forest in the country comprises 1,472 sq. km. (31.05%), moderately dense mangrove spans 1,391 sq. km (29.75%) and open mangroves constitute 1,877 sq. km. (39.60%).

Mangroves and India

In India, mangroves occur on the West Coast, on the East Coast and on Andaman and Nicobar Islands. India has a long tradition of mangrove forest management.

The Sunderbans mangroves, located in the Bay of Bengal were the first mangroves in the world to be put under scientific management.
Other mangroves of the East Coast are found in the deltas of the Godavari,Krishna Mahanadi and Kollidam rivers and in smaller patches along the coast.

Government of India set up the National Mangrove Committee in the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 1976 to advise the government about mangrove conservation and development.

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 has had a crucial role in the conservation and management of mangrove ecosystems. It declares a Coastal Regulation Zone in which industrial and other activities such as discharge of untreated water and effluents, dumping of waste, land reclamation and bunding is restricted in order to protect the coastal environment. Coastal stretches are classified into four categories, and mangroves are included in the most ecologically sensitive category.

Benefits

• Buffer Zone between the land and sea.
• Protect the land from erosion.
• Play an invaluable role as nature's shield against cyclones, ecological disasters and as protector of shorelines.
• Breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of marine animals.
• Harbour a variety of lifeforms like invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even mammals like tigers.
• Good source of timber, fuel and fodder.
• Main source of income generation for shoreline communities like fisherfolk.
• Save the marine diversity, which is fast diminishing.
• Purify the water by absorbing impurities and harmful heavy metals and help us to breathe a clean air by absorbing pollutants  in the air.
• Potential source for recreation and tourism.

By: Vishal