Kolkata, Aug. 18 -- Illegal clearing of mangroves has weakened West Bengal's natural defence against cyclones, tidal surges and floods, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister announced that the government will plant three crore mangrove saplings in the Sundarbans between October and December.
Adhikari said mangroves had been "illegally hacked and cleared" across parts of the coastal belt. Forest and irrigation land from Taki to Sagar had also been illegally occupied, he alleged, with brick and tile kilns operating on such land.
"Nature had gifted us mangroves as a natural protector," Adhikari said. "Mangroves were our natural protectors." He stressed the need to restore the lost green cover along the coast.
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