- A Gujarat village’s inland mangrove area has been declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
- The natural inland mangrove site of Guneri village of Kutch district has been declared as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of Gujarat.
- It is spread over a 32.78-hectare area of Guneri village in Lakhtar tehsil.
- This announcement has been made by the state government after considering a recommendation from the Gujarat Biodiversity Board.
- A local Biodiversity Management Committee will manage the area. It will ensure the conservation and enrichment of the flora and fauna in the area.
- The announcement has been made under the provisions of The Biodiversity Act, of 2002.
- Under this act, a state government can notify an area as a Biodiversity Heritage Site after consulting concerned local bodies.
- Inland mangroves are rare and have been reported from only eight locations in the world. The Guneri inland mangrove site is the last remains of its kind in India.
- The Guneri mangrove site is located at a distance of 45 km from the Arabian Sea and four km from the Kori Creek.
