India, Oct. 17 -- The Bombay High Court on Thursday came down heavily on six district administrations in the Konkan region for failing to implement its earlier orders regarding mangrove conservation. It directed the district collectors of Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Sindhudurg to hand over 10,000 hectares of identified mangrove land to the Maharashtra forest department within two months, while also setting a detailed timeline for identifying, measuring and handing over the remaining land.

A division bench of justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil passed the order on a contempt petition filed by Mumbai-based NGO Vanshakti in 2018. The petition alleged that the district administrations had failed to tran...