"The term mangrove itself comes from the Senegalese word ‘mangue’, which means ‘into the sea’. In Maharashtra, this ever-shrinking zone acts as a buffer against floods, and protects the land from excessive soil erosion and over salinity. One of the oldest ecosystems, dating back 114 million years, mangrove forests absorb four to eight times the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than any other kind of vegetation.

For cities, this job description should earn top billing, but mangroves are under threat from mindless reclamation. The floods that wrecked Mumbai’s suburbs in 2005, and killed over a 1,000 people, shone a spotlight on the rampant reclamation of mangrove land and the consequent pinching of the Mithi River’s mouth."

- Prashant Shrivastava | @art_for_desire