Sun Oct 26 22:55:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article based on the provided information:
Summary:
The Indian government’s MISHTI initiative, launched in 2023 to restore and conserve mangrove ecosystems, has acquired 22,560 hectares of land across 13 states and union territories over the past two years. A significant portion (85%) of this land is in Gujarat. While Gujarat boasts the second-largest mangrove cover in India, West Bengal, with the largest cover, has seen comparatively little land acquisition under the MISHTI scheme. Prime Minister Modi has highlighted the positive impact of mangrove restoration efforts in Gujarat, noting increased biodiversity. Experts like Ajanta Dey emphasize the importance of mangrove restoration over new plantations, particularly in fragile ecosystems like the Sundarbans, and advocate for a collaborative approach involving various government departments.
News Article:
India’s Mangrove Restoration Drive Gains Momentum, But Progress Uneven Across States
Kolkata, October 27, 2025 – The Union government’s ambitious Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) has made significant strides in its mission to restore and conserve India’s vital mangrove ecosystems, acquiring 22,560 hectares of land across 13 states and Union Territories over the past two years.
Announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget and launched in June 2023, MISHTI aims to promote mangroves as unique, natural ecosystems and enhance the sustainability of coastal habitats. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reported to the Lok Sabha in August that nearly 85% (19,220 hectares) of the acquired land is in Gujarat.
While Gujarat boasts the second-highest mangrove cover in India, substantial progress has also been made in Tamil Nadu (1060 hectares), Andhra Pradesh (837 hectares), and Odisha (761 hectares). However, West Bengal, home to the largest mangrove cover in the country (42% of the national total), has seen only a modest 10 hectares acquired under the initiative.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his ‘Mann ki Baat’ address, lauded the success of mangrove planting efforts in Gujarat, highlighting the increase in dolphins, crabs, and migratory birds in the Dholera coastal region.
However, experts like Ajanta Dey, of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, stress the need to prioritize mangrove restoration, particularly in ecologically vulnerable areas like the Sundarbans. She emphasized a collaborative approach, involving various government departments, to create an environment conducive to natural mangrove regeneration. Dey’s organisation’s model Sustainable Aquaculture in Mangrove Ecosystems (SAIME) in the Sundarbans has recently been recognised globally. Dey highlighted that the significance of mangroves in fragile ecosystems like the Sundarbans is that they act as bio-shields and the need is to have a platform involving different departments of the State government to create an environment-assisted natural regeneration of mangroves.
While the MISHTI initiative shows promise in bolstering India’s coastal resilience, experts call for a balanced approach that prioritizes both new plantations and the restoration of existing mangrove ecosystems, particularly in regions with significant existing mangrove cover.
First Piper 