Sundarbans mangrove crackdown: Bengal targets 1,600 acres of illegal fish farms
Synopsis
West Bengal's new BJP government has ordered the closure of illegal brackish water fish farms sprawling across 1,600 acres of Sundarbans mangrove land — territory allegedly cleared during the TMC era. With a November 2025 deadline set for identification, shutdown, and replanting, this is the most sweeping environmental enforcement action in the Sundarbans in years.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal Forest Department has launched a crackdown on illegal brackish water fisheries across 1,600 acres of Sundarbans mangrove land.
The farms were allegedly set up during the previous Trinamool Congress government by clearing protected mangrove plantations in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas .
Forest Minister Manoj Oraon has directed officials to identify, close, and replant mangroves in affected areas by November 2025 .
A café built illegally on the Matla River banks by Imran Molla , son of former TMC MLA Saokat Molla , was demolished earlier this month.
Environmentalists warn that mangrove loss increases coastal communities' vulnerability to cyclones in the Bay of Bengal .
The West Bengal Forest Department has launched an immediate crackdown on illegal brackish water fisheries spread across roughly 1,600 acres of Sundarbans mangrove land in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts, ordering their closure and the replanting of mangroves on illegally occupied land. The farms, according to the department, were established during the previous All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government by clearing protected mangrove plantations.
Minister's Directive and Timeline
State Forest Minister Manoj Oraon has personally directed department officials to begin identifying the illegal aquaculture operations, shut them down with police assistance, and restore the cleared zones with mangrove cover. A step-by-step process — covering identification, closure, and replanting — has been set with a completion target of November 2025.
'Such illegal brackish water fisheries are scattered over around 1,600 acres. The state forest department will work closely with the district administration in the process of bringing these areas back to their original form, filled with mangrove plantations,' Oraon said. He added that both the forest department and district authorities would maintain close monitoring going forward to prevent any recurrence.
Why Mangroves Matter in the Sundarbans
Environmentalists have welcomed the crackdown, describing the Sundarbans mangroves as a critical natural buffer against cyclones and super-cyclones along the West Bengal coast. The destruction of these plantations, they argue, directly increases the vulnerability of coastal communities to extreme weather events — a risk that has grown more acute as cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal intensifies. Notably, the Sundarbans mangrove belt is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making its degradation a matter of international conservation concern.
Broader Crackdown Under the New Government
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari assumed office, authorities have moved against multiple illegal constructions in the Sundarbans region. Earlier this month, a café named 'Aranyer Kule' — owned by Imran Molla, son of former TMC legislator Saokat Molla — was demolished in the Moukhali area under Jibantala police station in South 24 Parganas. The structure had been built illegally on the banks of the Matla River.
Scale and Next Steps
The majority of the 1,600 acres of affected land falls within the South 24 Parganas portion of the Sundarbans. Officials have not yet disclosed the number of individual fish farm operators involved or the quantum of legal action planned against them. The department's immediate priority is completing a full survey before enforcement and replanting operations begin in earnest. How the affected aquaculture operators — many of whom may be local fisherfolk — are rehabilitated remains an open question that the government has not yet addressed publicly.
Point of View
Turning an environmental enforcement action into a political audit. That framing should not obscure the ecological urgency: 1,600 acres of cleared mangrove in the Sundarbans is a serious conservation failure, regardless of who permitted it. The harder question the government has not answered is what happens to the local fisherfolk who depend on these farms — a rehabilitation gap that, if unaddressed, risks turning an environmental win into a livelihood crisis. Enforcement timelines tied to political calendars, as this November deadline appears to be, have a poor track record of completion in Indian forest governance.
NationPress
19 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the West Bengal government cracking down on fish farms in the Sundarbans?
The West Bengal Forest Department has found that illegal brackish water fisheries were set up across roughly 1,600 acres of Sundarbans mangrove land, allegedly during the previous TMC government. Mangroves are protected under Indian law and serve as a critical coastal buffer against cyclones, making their destruction both a legal violation and an environmental hazard.
What is the government's plan for the affected 1,600 acres?
Forest Minister Manoj Oraon has directed officials to identify all illegal fish farms, shut them down with police support, and replant mangroves on the cleared land. The entire process is targeted for completion by November 2025, with close monitoring by both the forest department and district administration thereafter.
Who is affected by the Sundarbans fish farm crackdown?
The crackdown primarily targets operators of illegal brackish water fisheries in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas. The government has not yet publicly detailed how affected aquaculture operators or local fisherfolk dependent on these farms will be rehabilitated.
What other enforcement action has the new West Bengal government taken in the Sundarbans?
Earlier in July 2025, authorities demolished a café called 'Aranyer Kule' on the banks of the Matla River in South 24 Parganas. The café was owned by Imran Molla, son of former TMC MLA Saokat Molla, and had been built illegally near the Sundarbans.
Why are Sundarbans mangroves considered so important?
The Sundarbans mangrove belt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and acts as a natural shield protecting coastal West Bengal from cyclones and storm surges from the Bay of Bengal. Environmentalists argue that their destruction directly raises the risk of large-scale damage to coastal communities during extreme weather events.
