Thought I would jump in.

The populated parts of the Sunderbans are mostly on the eastern fringe. Villages are there and that is a reality for everyone. A vast part of the delta (what of it is in India) is uninhabited except for PT staff. Fishermen (that includes foreign trawlers), honey collectors etc are the ones who visit... maybe an occasional poacher, a smuggler and a pirate.

Comments like sea level has risen, islands have vanished, do make a good news copy but sounds a bit ridiculous. I hope the OP knows what he is talking about. Without a valid background on tide and river current dynamics and geomorphology of the delta, I wouldn't make a sweeping comment such as these in a public forum.

Erosion is a physical process and yes islands get eroded. And erosion goes hand in hand with accretion... while a part of the delta is eroded, the same material is deposited in the delta elsewhere. If an island has submerged, two islands have arisen new. Such is Sunderbans. this is how the delat was buolt. Wildlife has survived there for thousands of years with accretion and erosion. Unless 'shot/trapped', they should thrive.

The indian part of the 'bans has also see tectonic movement and the sea and river bed at the estuary mouth has risen. Salinity has increased at the mouth of most of the indian rivers leading to population shifts in biotic elements. Higher salinity is attributed as a probable cause in reduction in no. of Sundari trees and Tenualosa catch. But if Sundari has gone down, Avicennia has increased. The bangladesh portion (60% of the delta), has no habitations lesser salinity but much higher recorded incidences of tiger and ungulate poaching.

Crocs have been around and some are huge. Tigers and humans being killed by crocs is something that happens - reported or not. These aren't piddly muggers but big salties. The Ganges Bull Shark (aka Zambezi Shark) is common too and more people loose limbs to Sharks than to crocs in the bans.

A fascinating and misunderstood place, Sunderbans has suffered form upstream development. With giving of most of the Ganga water with Bangladesh, the Indian channels.. even the navigation channel of the Hughli are subjected to high siltation. As the river beds rise, climatic events easily lead to flooding of islands. Whatever little agriculture is hit by salt water influx and sweet water ponds- so essential for drinking, are inundated. Tiger and man is affected equally. Only that a Tiger still has wild and instinctive skills that allow him a better chance than man, who is dependent on relief.

The british raj embankments in Sunderbans are still the mainstay of protection of villages/ islands. Earthenware embankments they are and that makes sense even today as the rivers adjoining the islands are the ones to be dredged and same material used for embankments. the slope and design of course should be modulated based on tide and current behavior in the river and trust me it varies a lot. Not fly ash, not RCC not gabions...

Some fairly recent studies have been carried out for the 'Bans and Kolkata vis a vis Climate Change. Predictions are more cyclonic events, more rainy days, more rain per day. The rise in levels in absolute terms yet in the Bans is negligible if any. But catastrophic climatic events shall affect wildlife and in India disaster management response is not fully tuned to handle human requirements, leave aside animals. Sunderbans also serve as a shield for Kolkata city against extreme climatic events and despite this high rainfall is not handled well in Kolkata itself. On the rosy side, Survey of India is to shortly carryout a hazard line mapping of the entire indian coast so that should be a good tool in planning. Not being an area of navigational importance proper bathymetric charts and tide, current etc data for Sunderbans, is hard to come by and has to be generated de novo. that takes time.

With an increasing demand for tourism, Sunderbans in the last 10 odd years has seen numerous 'resorts' - luxurious and expensive and these are all encroachments. Those well heeled and tooled patronize such outfits and theses outfits have gone to the extent of training rivers to suit their needs. I always thought those interested in nature tourism and from metros, are more aware!!!!


Of those fishermen etc who go into the Sunderbans, a vast majority are without any valid permits. They fall prey to the lements and to tigers and such deaths are not reported in fear of action by the PT authorities. In April this year 4 people were killed by Tiger on one island on one day and fifth was brought back severly mauled. the witch doctor/ gayen who claimed to know mnatars that would tell him where a Tiger was was the first to be carried away.... so much for mumbo jumbo.

So just like the rest of our imperfect country the 'bans are too imperfect- in nature and in management. Going by the derisive approach towards 'sarkari' figures, if the West Bengal Forest Directorate counts were wrong, what makes you all think the WII did the correct count? Never believe what all you hear guys.

Arijit