Mumbai, Oct 20 (PTI) In a bid to protect and conserve mangrove forests, a mangrove conservation centre and park will be set up in Mumbai's Gorai area, an official said on Wednesday.

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The mangrove conservation centre and park will come up on an eight-hector land at an estimated cost of Rs 26.97 crore by January 2023, a release issued by the state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray's office said.

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The main aim of developing a mangrove park at Gorai is to educate citizens of Mumbai about the significance of the mangrove ecosystem, the release stated.

“Mumbai is the only megacity that has over 50 km of mangrove coverage. We are committed to conserve it and create awareness about this natural wealth. Furthering this goal, we have commenced work for the first-ever mangrove park in Gorai," the release quoted Thackeray as saying.

According to the release, the park will include a nature interpretation centre (NIC), a mangrove trail, bird observatory, kayak trail and development of a dedicated app-based destination information system.

The project has been approved by the Maharashtra State Eco-Tourism Board and has been designated as an eco-tourism project. It has been granted CRZ clearances by the environment department and is being funded by the DPDC of Mumbai suburban district, the release said.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has been appointed as the third-party technical auditor for the project to ensure proper design and construction.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)