As per the recent reporting, the Central Government has taken up over 22500 hectares of land in past 2 years for Mangroves’ restoration across the coastal states in the country and 85 percent of this land was acquired in the Coastal State of Gujarat itself ¹.

What Does It Mean

The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), announced in the Union Budget 2023–24, aims to restore India’s unique mangrove ecosystems and enhance the sustainability of coastal habitats.

The initiative deserves appreciation for its vision of ecological restoration and sustainability. However, as implementation progresses, the focus must shift toward ensuring that its benefits reach all coastal states. Special attention should be given to West Bengal, which hosts the largest mangrove cover in the country. Efforts under MISHTI should prioritize both restoring existing mangroves and expanding new plantations.

MISHTI exemplifies the spirit of cooperative federalism, requiring strong collaboration between the Centre and states. Beyond preserving coastal ecosystems, mangroves serve as natural bio-shields, mitigating the impact of cyclones and high tides that frequently affect India’s shoreline communities.

Rather than concentrating solely on rebuilding infrastructure devastated by increasingly severe cyclones, policy efforts should also aim at reducing their destructive impact—and what better protection than the natural resilience offered by mangroves themselves?