World Mangroves Day celebrated in surat

Surat, Jul 26 (UNI) On the occasion of World Mangroves Day today, Hazira LNG Port Companies and Gujarat Ecology Commission (GCE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to add 300 hectres to the ongoing ''Coastal Area Eco Restoration Project'' the project, initiated in 2004, proactively proposed to undertake mangrove plantation to ecologically restore the Hazira coastal area.

On this occasion, Samiran Ghosh, terminal Manager of Hazira LNG Pvt Ltd, said ''Social investment is part of our commitment at Hazira LNG and Port Companies to take economic, environmental and social considerations into account in all our work. The mangrove restoration project was initiated to adhere to the group's commitment to contribute to Sustainable Development.'' He said ''Gujarat can now take pride in the fact that it is the only state in the country which has showed an increase in Mangrove cover resulting in an improvement in ecology like GEC give us a boost to work towards our commitment of making social investment with the differently-abled, with NGOs and public institution and with young people representing the future of India.'' D N Panday (IPS), Member Secretary of Gujarat Ecology Commission, said ''The initiative is one of the largest sustainable development project ever undertaken by a corporate. The institutional model of Hazira LNG Port Companies, wherein the local community is the de-facto owner, has ensured that the project is sustainable.'' Hazira Companies have been successful in improving the ecology of the plantation areas with a core fouce on plantation through a broad framework for the participatory management of estuarine ecology.

''We are looking forward to a long standing relation with the group and we will contribute more towards the effort of increasing the biodiversity of the state,'' he added.

UNI XR/PVN SSS np1928