Lok Sabha Question No. 322 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Mangrove Forests in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri G M Harish Balayogi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 322

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## Mangrove Forests in Andhra Pradesh

## 322*.  SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI:

Will the MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of mangrove forests including mangrove cover in the State of Andhra Pradesh during the last five years, district and year-wise;
- (b) the details regarding the extent of degraded mangrove forests in Andhra Pradesh during the last five years, district and year-wise;
- (c) the  details  regarding  the  mangrove  restoration  works  undertaken  in  the  State,  districtwise;
- (d) whether  any  mangrove  restoration  works  have  been  undertaken  under  the  Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS)  and  if  so,  the details  thereof  including  the  number  of  people  employed  and  the  funds  allocated  for these activities in the State during the last five-years, district and year-wise; and
- (e) the total funds allocated, released and utilized under various schemes for the maintenance and restoration of mangrove forests in the State during the last five years, district-wise ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARA  (A)  TO  (E)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *322  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  24/03/2025 REGARDING  'MANGROVE  FORESTS  IN  ANDHRA  PRADESH'  RAISED  BY SHRI G M HARISH BALAYOGI, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

- (a) &  (b)  Forest  Survey  of  India  (FSI)  assesses  the  country's  forest  cover,  including mangrove  cover,  every  two  years  and  publishes  the  findings  in  the  India  State  of Forest Report (ISFR). According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, a total area of 421.43 sq.km has been reported to be under mangrove cover in Andhra Pradesh. During 2019-2023 there is an increase of 17.29 sq.km area in the mangrove cover in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Konaseema district has witnessed a decrease of 0.67 sq. km in mangrove forest during 2019-2023 period. The district-wise details are as follows:

All figures are in Sq. km

| Districts                   | 2019   |   2021 |   2023 |
|-----------------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Bapatla                     | 68.0   |  71.07 |  72.92 |
| Eluru                       | 0      |   0.02 |   0.02 |
| Kakinada                    | 188.06 | 112.77 | 113.79 |
| Konaseema                   |        |  75.09 |  74.42 |
| Krishna                     | 137.08 | 138.57 | 148.45 |
| Prakasam                    | 1.0    |   0.69 |   0.75 |
| Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore | 10.0   |   8.65 |   8.66 |
| Srikakulam                  | 0      |   0.28 |   0.82 |
| Tirupati                    | 0      |   1.23 |   1.29 |
| Visakhapatnam               | 0      |   0.05 |   0.31 |
| Total                       | 404.14 | 408.42 | 421.43 |

- (c) As per the information received from Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, details of mangrove restoration work undertaken during 2024-25 are as follows:
- (d) The Andhra  Pradesh  Forest  Department  has informed  that  no  mangrove  restoration work  has  been  undertaken  under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
- (e) Over  the  past  five  years,  mangrove  restoration  has  been  carried  out  under  schemes such as  Compensatory Afforestation  Fund Management and Planning Authority  (CAMPA) and Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI). The districtwise  details  of  fund  allocated,  released  and  utilized  between  financial  year  2020-2021  and 2024-2025 of the said scheme are attached as an Annexure.

| District                |   Area (ha) |
|-------------------------|-------------|
| Bapatla                 |          80 |
| Krishna                 |          50 |
| WLM, Rajahmundry        |          13 |
| Dr. Br.Konaseeema       |          18 |
| WLM, Eluru              |         100 |
| Potti Sriramulu Nellore |          15 |
| Total                   |         276 |

*****

## Annexure

Fund allocated, released and Utilized under various schemes for maintenance and restoration of mangroves forest in Andhra Pradesh between financial year 2020-2021 and 2024-2025.

Scheme:

Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, (CAMPA)

## (Rs. in Lakh)

| District                     | 2020-2021   | 2020-2021   | 2020-2021   | 2021-2022   | 2021-2022   | 2021-2022   | 2022-2023   | 2022-2023   | 2022-2023   | 2023-2024   | 2023-2024   | 2023-2024   | 2024-2025   | 2024-2025   | 2024-2025   |
|------------------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| District                     | All.        | Rel.        | Ut.         | All.        | Rel.        | Ut.         | All.        | Rel.        | Ut.         | All.        | Rel.        | Ut.         | All.        | Rel.        | Ut.         |
| Bapatla                      | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 2.66        | 2.66        | 2.66        | 12.1        | 0           | 0           |
| Krishna                      | 213         | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 24          | 24          | 24          |
| Dr. B.R. Am bedkar Konaseema | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 0           | 5.25        | 5.25        | 5.25        | 8.22        | 7.59        | 7.59        |
| WLM, Eluru                   | 80          | 2.21        | 2.21        | 45          | 18.7        | 18.7        | 105.7       | 0           | 0           | 127.9       | 125         | 125         | 128         | 76.49       | 76.5        |

(All. - Allocation, Rel. - Released, Ut.- Utiliszed)

Program: Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)

## (Rs. in Lakh)

| District/ Division          |   Allocated |   Released |   Utilized |
|-----------------------------|-------------|------------|------------|
| Bapatla                     |     416.988 |     320.76 |     72.94  |
| Kakinada                    |      38.904 |      29.92 |      9.67  |
| WLM, Eluru                  |     291.37  |     224.14 |    193.59  |
| Machipatnam                 |      86.737 |      66.72 |      0     |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema |     364.91  |     280.7  |    205.798 |
| Nellore                     |      25.467 |      19.56 |      2     |
| Total                       |    1224.38  |     941.8  |    483.998 |