The boardwalks will be made using environment-friendly materials and the path will have to be created ensuring that there is no damage to the mangroves In what would be a first of its kind initiative in Maharashtra, the State Mangrove Cell is planning to build a 2.8-kilometre boardwalk inside mangroves, which will be laid in a manner to resemble a flamingo. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (APCCF), Mangrove Cell, N Vasudevan said that the boardwalk will be part of the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB) at Airoli, located within the 1,690 hectares of Thane Flamingo Sanctuary declared by Maharashtra government on August 6, 2015. Vasudevan informed that the boardwalk will lead into four different paths, while one will provide a view of migratory birds that flock the Thane creek during winter, others will showcase the mangroves, aquatic life as well as insects and reptiles dwelling inside the mangroves. The boardwalks will be made using environment-friendly materials and the path will have to be created ensuring that there is no damage to the mangroves. “A major challenge will be providing supports for the boardwalk, and hence it will take some time. We are hoping that it will be ready by early 2019,” said another senior official from the Mangrove Cell. In phase I, the Mangrove cell with the help of Indo-German project collaboration on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Marine Protected Areas has set up Maharashtra’s first state-of-the-art Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB) at Airoli, which has over 600 marine species displayed along with various interactive exhibits.

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