Mumbai: The state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has said that the mangrove park at Gorai will be open for tourists within two years, whereas the one at Dahisar will be opened by 2022.
According to state officials, the state government has undertaken creation of two mangrove forest gardens in 38 hectares of land.
Of these two parks, one, costing '26.97 crore, is being built at Gorai in eight hectares of land. The second garden is being created on 30-hectare land in Dahisar, which will cost '48.80 crore.
“The Gorai mangrove forest project is proposed to be open for tourists in the Diwali of 2021. Plans have been made accordingly. The District Planning Committee has provided funds for the project,” said Mr Mungantiwar.
The park will have attractions like nature experience centre, mangrove trail, bird-watching tower, and boating among others, he added.
“The Dahisar mangrove forest garden project is in the process of getting administrative approval. This mangrove forest has a vast bio-diversity and 11 species can be found here. Hence, this area will prove important for tourists and experts from the perspective of entertainment and research. Employment opportunities will also be made available for the locals, said Mr Mungantiwar.
Mangrove forests exist in 30,000 hectares area in the state. Of them, 17,000 hectares area is government-owned and 13,000 hectares area is located on private land.
