Gandhinagar, Mar 20 (PTI) Mangroves will be planted over 15,000 hectares in Gujarat under the Centre’s Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme, said the state government on Thursday.
The MISHTI programme has been launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to promote mangrove conservation, restoration, and reforestation along India’s coastline.
Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera told the assembly that the state is currently the national leader in mangrove afforestation.
“In the current fiscal, Gujarat has emerged as the number one state in India by planting mangroves over 11,930 hectares across Sir Creek, Kori Creek and Padala Bet in Kutch. Now, we are planning to plant mangroves over 15,000 hectares under the MISHTI scheme,” he said.
The minister was addressing the House while seeking approval for the budgetary allocation for Forest and Environment, and Tourism departments.
When the scheme was launched in 2023, the Centre had set a target of planting mangroves across 540 square km area in five years, said Bera, adding that Gujarat has already planted mangroves across 190 square kilometres in just two years, he said.
The minister also said that Rs 5 crore has been allocated in the state’s latest budget to increase mangrove diversity and develop Kori Creek and Padala Bet as tourist destinations.
The process of preparing a new Tourism Policy has already started as the five-year tenure of the existing policy ends in 2025, he said.
Also, a new lion safari will come up at Indroda Park in Gandhinagar, the minister told the House.
“We are planning to develop Asia’s first desert theme-based zoo near Deesa town of Banaskantha district. A captive breeding and care centre for the conservation of caracal, a medium-sized wild cat, will come up in Kutch district and Rs 5 crore has been allocated for the same in this budget,” added Bera. PTI PJT PD NR
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.