ISRO study: Dredging for development of Mundra port and SEZ "completely buried mangroves" in the region

Counterview Desk
A high-level Space Application Centre (SAC) study, carried out by Ahmedabad’s Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has said that the mangrove vegetation near Mundra in Kutch district is “one of the most impacted mangrove assemblages in Gujarat”. The observation comes close on the heels of a Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoEF), Government of India-sponsored report by a committee headed by top environmentalist Sunita Narain, whose recommendation to the MoEF -- to impose a green restoration fine of Rs 200 crore for “repairing” the environmental damage it has caused to its port and special economic zone (SEZ) projects at Mundra – was recently accepted.
“The area has seen the development of one of the largest private ports in the country. The development of the Port has also led to the establishment of a SEZ in the vicinity of the port. The development has had a substantial impact on the natural vegetation of the area”, the 600-odd page ISRO study “Coastal Zones in India”, has said, adding, “The Island of Navinal on which the main port is situated is now devoid of mangrove vegetation except for small patches on the east and west sides.”
The study says, “The development of a private railway for the movement of goods has also caused damage to mangrove vegetation. Though occupying only a small area, its development has led to filling up of several creeks that has stopped the movement of water within the mangroves”. It adds, “The mangrove area, east of Bocha Island, represented one of the best patches on the north Gulf of Kutch coast. This area has borne the brunt of direct cutting of mangroves as well as burying of mangroves under sand.”
The study points out how the destruction progressed horizontally. “Sand that is dredged from the nearby creeks is used to completely bury the mangroves so that there is no need to cut them. This has slowly progressed from the central region and is gradually moving to the outer fringe.” Pointing towards “glimpses of the level of anthropogenic influence on the study area”, the study says, “The mangrove fine areas on the Island of Bocha and its surrounding have also been affected by erosion by the sea. On account of high wave action, a dense mangrove strip measuring has been washed off from the seaward margin of the above.”
Mundra, a coastal taluka of Gujarat, is located at the northern flank of the Gulf of Kachchh. It has a wide inter-tidal zone, which supports a unique marine ecosystem dominated by mangroves and natural creek formations. Pointing out this has been underlined, the study says, “The mangrove vegetation was found on the Navinal Island, Bocha Island and the adjoining inter-tidal mudflats. This whole situation changed in the early 1990s when the site was selected for the construction of a private port. The area, which was a sleepy coastal town, has now been transformed to one of the largest private ports in India.”
The study adds, “These changes have had a great influence on the mangrove vegetation growing in the vicinity. The results indicate how industrial development is impacting the health of mangrove forests. Satellite data of several years were taken. The area was surveyed four times during the project duration. Most of the mangrove assemblages were approachable from the adjoining saltpan or port roads. The area was thus surveyed on foot. Information on the mangrove diversity, density, height and soil and water samples was collected from the study area.”
The study points out, “Most of the other areas have sparse mangroves. Only one species of true mangrove was found here. The species was avicennia marina. In addition to the true mangrove species, several mangrove associates and salt marsh species were also observed growing in the area. The area under mangrove vegetation has undergone a large change in the past few decades. The development of the port has decimated the mangroves on Navinal Island, except for a few patches on the west and east of the port complex.”
The study further says, “There has been a change in the mangrove area surrounding the Mundra ort. The saltpans adjoining it have been reclaimed and even much of the mangrove area has been taken over. On the extreme south are present some of the tallest mangroves in the Gulf of Kachchh. The heights of the mangrove trees here reach five meters. Another locality, where good mangroves are found, is the Bharadi-Mata Creek area to the west of the study area. This area is currently far away from the port and thus not under its influence so far. But with the approval of the SEZ in the vicinity, the mangroves of this area are also under threat.”

Comments

Beyond India-China borders: Economic links expand, political gaps persist

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

Operation Epic Fury: Making America great at the world’s expense?

By N.S. Venkataraman* The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern.

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

Fair prices, fresh produce: Vegetable market opens in Rajasthan tribal village

By Vikas Meshram* On 18 March 2026, the tribal village of Sajjangarh in southern Rajasthan witnessed the grand and dignified inauguration of a new vegetable market (mandi). Established through the tireless joint efforts of the Krushi Avam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Bhilkuaan) and Vaagdhara, under the active leadership of the Gram Panchayat of Sajjangarh, the market is being hailed as a cornerstone for local self-governance, self-reliance, and a sustainable rural economy.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Ex-IAS Atanu Chakraborty and a tale of two different Gujarat vision documents

By Rajiv Shah The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 14 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Witnessing Iran beyond propaganda: Truth, war, and the path beyond western paradigm

By Naile Manjarrés On June 23, 2025—marked as the 2nd of Tir, 1404, on the Persian calendar—a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced. This "night of the decree" shifted the trajectory of global affairs; although the world may appear unchanged on the surface, we have yet to fully grasp its impact.

Search This Blog