India, Jan. 10 -- Despite a clear two-month deadline set by the Bombay High Court in October 2025, district administrations across Maharashtra have transferred barely 955.63 hectares of over 10,000 hectares of mangrove forest to the state's Mangrove Cell. Palghar and Raigad districts account for the bulk of the non-compliance.

The disclosure was made in an affidavit filed on January 7 by S V Ramarao, additional principal chief conservator of forests (Mangrove Cell), in response to the high court's October 16, 2025, order directing all government departments to hand over pending mangrove lands to the Mangrove Cell within two months.

The order was passed by a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil while hearing a ...