India, Aug. 23 -- Seven years after a high court order, forest dept yet to notify the land as 'protected forest' as government bodies are still in possession of these plots

MUMBAI: Seven years since the Bombay high court (HC) declared mangroves as 'protected forests', all seven districts in the Konkan, including Mumbai, are yet to transfer 11,000-odd hectares to the state forest department, leaving them unprotected and vulnerable to destruction. To get the administrative machinery moving, environmental NGO Vanashakti filed a contempt of court petition in the high court last month.

Data obtained by Vanashakti under the Right to Information Act (RTI) reveals that of the 11,000 hectares in question, Palghar district accounts for the single...