Pangkalpinang, Aug. 1 -- The provincial government of Bangka Belitung Islands (Babel) has planted thousands of mangrove seedlings to restore 4,700 hectares of mangrove forests damaged by tin mining and illegal land conversion.

"Thank God, the mangrove planting on 4,700 hectares has been quite successful," head of the province's Environment and Forestry Agency (DLHK), Bambang Trisula, said while attending the planting of 10 thousand mangroves by PLN at Penyak Beach on Friday.

The Bangka Belitung Islands government is collaborating with various agencies and community groups to carry out mangrove plantings on the 4,700 hectares of land spread across seven districts and cities, he informed.

"Today, we are planting 10 thousand mangrove seed...