India's mangroves

India recorded a net increase of 23.34 sqkm of mangrove cover between 2009 and 2011, thanks to efforts of one of the most industrialised states, Gujarat, in planting and regenerating the ecosystem rich in biodiversity. The new biennial assessment report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) has commended Gujarat’s contribution in planting and regenerating the mangroves, a salt tolerant plant community. The report says mangrove cover in India is 4,662 sqkm, which is 0.14 per cent of the country's total geographical area. Sundarbans in West Bengal accounts for almost half of the total area under mangroves in the country.