West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, will become a separate district next year.
Banerjee, on a visit to North 24 Parganas district, said the decision was taken because people in the riverine area have specific set of problems.
"We will create a new district for Sunderbans by Durga Puja next year," she said while addressing a rally at Sandeshkhali in the district.
The Indian part of Sundarbans is estimated to cover an area of about 4,110 square kilometres of which about 1,700 square kilometres is now under South 24 Parganas district.
Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, also declared constitution's prime architect B.R. Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary celebrations will be held in every block of the state on December 30. A chair will be named after him at Calcutta University and a Panchayat Training Centre, named after him will be set up.