Vijayawada: Bandar Fort Reserve Forest area, along with its surrounding areas rich with thick growth of mangrove forests located in Machilipatnam of Krishna district, is crying for protection from encroachments in order to conserve its biodiversity.
Spread over about 26,000 acres of land, the efforts of foresters to restore mangrove forests are being thwarted on one pretext or another. A move made to restore at least 60 hectares’ area in 2024-25 ended up in just 20 hectares. In 2025-26, not even a single step could be initiated for restoration of the mangroves, given the stiff resistance from the local people who have occupied them illegally.
Whenever foresters, armed with directives from the Supreme Court as also the Bombay High Court, take up the restoration work of mangroves, there is not much headway, given a series of hurdles being created allegedly by those who are eyeing to grab the land.
The recent direction from Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan to take forest officials to task for failing to protect the forest land from encroachment in Chittoor district appears to be giving some relief and confidence to the foresters to go ahead with their primary task of protecting and conserving the Bandar mangrove forests.
Bandar Reserve and its surrounding reserve forests have been subject to occupation for a long time. It started when state revenue authorities leased out nearly 6,500 acres of forest land to Bharat Salts for 20 years in 2002. Even after the lease period expired, the firm is unwilling to move out. It moved the High Court and obtained an order for status quo.
Foresters are puzzled as to how the revenue authorities could lease out their land without their knowledge with no legal documentation and support. The salt pans of the firm are having their impact on the local biodiversity and on the growth of mangroves.
People having an eye to grab the forest land encouraged shrimp culture in a big way, causing major damage to the growth of mangroves and the eco-system. Any effort by the foresters to remove the illegal tanks of fish for restoring mangroves faced stiff resistance from many, including local political leaders.
The district administration appears to be in a helpless situation due to pressure from top political leaders, who are misusing their official position. These leaders have now come up with plans to grab the forest land with a series of proposals to set up micro and small industrial units and other establishments, claiming that will generate economic activity and provide employment to local people.
A senior forest official said, “If there is a proposal to use the forest land for income generating activity and to create job potential, we have no objection, provided such a proposal should be backed with provisions existing in the relevant acts.”
Environmentalists are raising concern over the plans to encroach the mangroves. They are taking up the issue with the National Green Tribunal and other legal fora to seek relief and protect the forest lands.
Significantly, the presence of thick growth of mangrove forests acts as a natural barrier whenever nature’s fury strikes Machilipatnam, keeping the port city safer. The preservation of mangroves will also protect the endangered species in the area under Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
