Urbanisation causing loss of mangroves in Visakhapatnam: NGT issues notice to authorities – Times of India
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and others on the alleged loss of mangroves in Visakhapatnam because of urbanisation. The green body had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report, which said that the erstwhile sprawling coastal ecosystems had been reduced to "mere patches", raising serious concerns among environmentalists about coastal protection and biodiversity loss. In an order dated November 22, a bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "The news item highlights that the loss of mangroves poses a serious risk to both coastal protection and biodiversity as mangroves play a crucial role in preventing shoreline erosion an...