Maharashtra gives reserved forests status to mangroves

Mangroves are a salt-tolerant plant community found in tropical and sub-tropical regions

Maharashtra is set to become the first coastal state to declare a state mangrove tree species as a symbol to enhance conservation of the salt-tolerant vegetation. Maharashtra has notified 15,087.6 hectares of mangroves across the state as reserved forest. Mangroves on privately owned land are not a part of this notification.

The notification, however, comes over a decade after Bombay High Court asked the state government to declare mangroves as forests in 2005.

TheHC judgement asked for a total freeze on the destruction and cutting of mangroves in entire Maharashtra “with immediate effect”. The court had also said that garbage cannot be dumped into mangroves, and there can be no construction 50 metres on each side of a mangrove belt.

The state’s notification puts the forest department directly in charge of conservation and protection of mangrove land.

The proposal from the state mangrove cell to declare Sonneratia alba or mangrove apple, an evergreen mangrove species found along the state’s coastline, as state mangrove tree was approved during a meeting of the recently constituted State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) on Friday.

Known as white chippi in Marathi, Sonneratia alba grow up to five feet and bear white flowers with a pink base as well as green fruits, that resemble apple and are used to make pickles. They often grow on newly-formed mudflats and play an important role in combating land erosion. The flowers, which bloom at night, are pollinated by nocturnal creatures like bats.

Distribution of this mangrove species is confined to the west coast and some parts of Orissa. The mangrove cell has documented its presence along wetlands in Thane creek, Bhandup, Vasai and Dombivli along major mudflats.

Maharashtra already has a state tree (mango), animal (large squirrel), fowl (inexperienced pigeon), state butterfly (blue mormon) and flower (jarul).