Maharashtra’s mangrove conservation efforts have increasingly focused on protecting existing forests, improving administration, using technology and involving coastal communities. During IFS officer S. V. Ramarao’s tenure with the state Mangrove Cell from 2023 to 2026, 15,598 hectares of mangrove land were brought under the Forest Department, according to a recent Indian Masterminds report. The administration also created dedicated North and South Konkan divisions, undertook plantation across 736 hectares in six coastal districts, strengthened 281 Co-Management Committees involving more than 6,000 beneficiaries and introduced technology-led monitoring through the Mangrove Suraksha App.
However, significant challenges remain. A Bombay High Court-directed transfer of thousands of hectares of mangrove land has faced delays, with environmental groups raising concerns over encroachment, dumping and development pressures. Ramarao has said the Forest Department had repeatedly reminded government bodies to transfer the pending land. The conservation model therefore combines institutional responsibility, restoration, scientific research, technology and livelihoods, while highlighting the need for continued coordination between government agencies and coastal communities.
From Land Protection To Coastal Resilience
Ramarao, a 1998-batch Indian Forest Service officer, worked as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests with Maharashtra’s Mangrove Cell during 2023–2026. His tenure focused on strengthening the administrative system around mangrove protection rather than treating conservation only as a plantation exercise. The Indian Masterminds report states that 15,598 hectares of mangrove land were brought under the Forest Department, while two dedicated territorial divisions, North Konkan and South Konkan, were created to improve field-level management. Plantation activities covered 736 hectares across six coastal districts, while the Gorai Mangrove Park was completed and the Dahisar Mangrove Park project was revived.
The approach also placed greater emphasis on technology and public participation. The Mangrove Suraksha App, launched by Maharashtra’s Forest Department in March 2024, provides a platform for reporting complaints related to encroachment, destruction, unauthorised construction and debris dumping in mangrove areas. The Forest Department describes it as a grievance-redress mechanism intended to bring complaints from different offices onto a common platform.
Community participation formed another important part of the programme. According to the profile, 281 Co-Management Committees involving more than 6,000 beneficiaries were strengthened. Around 5,000 people reportedly benefited from livelihood opportunities linked to the wider conservation and ecotourism efforts. Activities such as crab farming, shrimp cultivation and fish breeding were encouraged in suitable intertidal areas, while ecotourism was promoted as a way of combining environmental awareness with livelihood generation. Ramarao said, “We started protecting them and conserving them and giving weightage to the mangrove ecotourism.”
The Challenge Of Pending Mangrove Land
The conservation push comes against a longstanding administrative challenge. In August 2025, Hindustan Times reported that around 11,000 hectares of mangrove land across the Konkan region, including Mumbai, had still not been transferred to the state Forest Department, seven years after the Bombay High Court declared Maharashtra’s mangroves protected forests. The largest shares were in Palghar at 4,712.43 hectares and Raigad at 4,481.77 hectares, followed by Ratnagiri and Thane. Much of the land was under government agencies, including JNPA, CIDCO, MMRDA and BMC.
The matter subsequently reached the Bombay High Court again. In October 2025, the court directed concerned government departments to hand over pending mangrove land to the Mangrove Cell within two months. An affidavit filed by Ramarao in January 2026 stated that only 955.63 hectares of more than 10,000 hectares had been transferred by then.
Ramarao had earlier explained that the government bodies continued to possess the pending land despite reminders from the Mangrove Cell. Environmental groups, meanwhile, have argued that fragmented ownership can create uncertainty over responsibility and enforcement. The issue matters because mangroves continue to face threats from encroachment, debris dumping and land-filling. A functioning complaint mechanism can help identify violations, but conservation ultimately depends on agencies having clear responsibility and acting on reported violations.
The legal protection of Maharashtra’s mangroves has its roots in a 2005 public interest litigation filed by the Bombay Environmental Action Group. In 2018, the Bombay High Court directed that mangrove areas across Maharashtra be treated as protected forests and brought under the jurisdiction of the Mangrove Cell. The continuing transfer delays show that protecting an ecosystem through a court order is only one part of the process; implementing that protection on the ground requires coordination between multiple government agencies.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Maharashtra’s mangrove story offers an important reminder that environmental conservation cannot stop at planting trees or announcing protection on paper. Mangroves are living ecosystems connected to coastal communities, marine biodiversity, livelihoods and climate resilience. Efforts such as bringing land under the Forest Department, creating dedicated divisions, enabling citizens to report violations and involving communities in conservation can strengthen that relationship.
At the same time, unresolved administrative gaps show why accountability and coordination remain essential. Conservation should not become a contest between development and the environment, but a process where communities, governments and institutions work together to protect natural ecosystems while supporting sustainable livelihoods.
What more can be done to ensure that Maharashtra’s mangroves receive both legal protection and effective protection on the ground?
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