Dholera (Gujarat) [India], December 1 (ANI): Mangroves, long regarded as nature’s most resilient coastal protectors, are rapidly expanding along Gujarat’s shoreline, forming a vital natural barrier against erosion, storms, and climate impacts. The state now accounts for 23.66% of India’s total mangrove cover, with restoration emerging as a key component of Gujarat’s environmental strategy.
In areas such as Dholera and Kutch, large-scale plantation and rejuvenation drives have transformed coastal landscapes. Hundreds of hectares previously vulnerable to tidal forces now host dense mangrove belts. Between 2001 and 2023, Gujarat successfully added 253.06 sq km of mangroves, enhancing coastal stability, revitalising marine habitats, and attracting migratory birds back to regenerated estuaries.
Minal Jani, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Ahmedabad, highlighted that over the past five years alone, more than 2,500 hectares have been brought under mangrove plantation. She noted that this expansion has significantly reduced coastal erosion and promoted marine biodiversity. Areas that once faced receding land and saline intrusion are now seeing an increase in crabs, fish, and other aquatic life, signalling ecological recovery.
The programme has relied heavily on community involvement, with local villagers collaborating with the Forest Department and industries to nurture saplings, cultivate mudflats, and protect young plants from grazing. Mangrove planter Jiteshbhai Makwana explained the process on the ground, describing how new land formations are identified, trenches are prepared, seeds planted, and saplings safeguarded until they take root. In some locations, mangroves have grown so dense that moving through them has become challenging—a testament to the project’s success.
The initiative also aligns with the Centre’s MISHTI scheme (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes), which aims to strengthen coastal ecosystems while supporting community livelihoods. Gujarat’s expanding mangrove cover stands as a model of what can be achieved when science, policy, and community action converge to restore nature.
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