MISHTI scheme

Why is in news? Shri Bhupender Yadav leads Mangrove Plantation drive in Chengalpattu , Tamil Nadu as part of the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme envisioned by the Prime Minister

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organised a mangrove plantation program at Kovalam Panchayat in Chengalpattu District in Tamil Nadu.

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change led the plantation drive as part of the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) scheme where in more than 100 people participated including students. The plantation drive is the part of ongoing "Hariyali Mahotsav" with a particular focus of Mangroves.

MISHTI program was recently launched by Government of India with an objective to take up mangrove reforestation and afforestation along the coastal districts of India by adopting best practices that already exist in India as well as from other countries including Indonesia.

MISHTI Scheme:

The Union Budget for 2023-24 announced an initiative for mangrove plantation along the coastline and on saltpan lands, under MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes).

This program is also envisaged to develop mangrove associated ecotourism initiatives and livelihood generation in coastal states.

The scheme is planned to be implemented for a period of five years from 2023-2024 to 2027-2028.

Currently, there is approximately 5000 sq kms of area under mangroves and through the MISHTI program an additional area of 540 sq km is proposed to be covered across 9 States and 4 Union Territories.

MISHTI is to be implemented by converging CAMPA Fund, MGNREGS, and other sources. In Tamil Nadu total areas demarcated for mangrove reforestation/afforestation under this program is about 39 sq. km.

“MISHTI” will contribute to the efforts of ‘Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)’ – an intergovernmental alliance for promotion of Mangrove, of which India became its active member during the (COP27)

Between 2010 and 2020, around 600 sq km of mangroves were lost of which more than 62% was due to direct human impacts, the Global Mangrove Alliance said in its 2022 report.

Mangroves in India:

India has about 4,992 sq km (0.49 million hectares) of mangroves, according to the Indian State of Forest Report (IFSR) 2021.

Mangroves in India are distributed across nine States and three UTs with West Bengal having the highest mangrove cover of 2,114 sq km.

The IFSR report also points out that there has been an increase in the mangrove cover from 4,046 sq km in 1987 to 4,992 sq km in 2021.