The state Forest department has bagged the Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award for 2006, 2007 and 2008 for outstanding performance in social forestry and reclamation of wastelands in Gujarat. The Award has been constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The department’s Junagadh range has won the award in the social forestry category, while B B Limbasiya of the Rajkot office has won the same in the individual category.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Pradeep Khanna said on Monday that the social forestry range office at Anand has bagged the award for its outstanding work in mangrove plantation along the Gulf of Cambay, covering over 4,000 hectares of coastal land.

“Earlier, this coastal area did not have any vegetation worth the name. Under the project, we have not only planted Avicinia marina in 4,000 hectares of land but also generated over 90,000 mandays in the last three years,” Khanna said.

He added, “Due to the mangrove plantation, the villagers in Tada Talav, who were getting just 60-150 kg of sea food catch per day, are now getting 400 kg.”