Mangrove massacre in Sunderbans

Indrani Dutta

KOLKATA: Large-scale felling of lakhs of mangrove plantations in the cyclone-hit Sundarbans sparked the fury of local people who are yet to fully recoup from the ravages that the cyclone Aila had caused to their life and livelihood a year ago. People also put up road blockades in protest.

The Chief Minister's Office has asked the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas to submit a report on the matter, Sundarbans Affairs Minister Kanti Ganguly told The Hindu. “I had asked the DM to submit a report on Friday and today the Chief Minister has sought a report from the DM on this matter, which is a very serious issue,” Mr. Ganguly said. Joynagar in Kultoli falls under the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve which is one of the two biosphere reserves in the country (the other being the Niligiris) in the global network of biosphere reserves. Because of its unique eco-system, the area was also declared a World Heritage Site in 1989 according to the site's website. The extent of mangrove reserve forest in the Indian Sundarbans is around 4,260 square km of which 55 per cent is over land vegetation cover and the rest under water body or tidal zone.

Mr. Ganguly said lakhs of trees which act as a sort of buttress against the frequent storms, gales and cyclones which sweep the delta have been systemically cut down over the past four days. He alleged that prima facie it seems this has been done at the behest of a local politician and also with the complicity of Forest Department officials. “The DM has assured that investigations will be conducted to identify the guilty.”

The trees, some of which grow only in the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove swamp, were felled to pave the way for fisheries. There were also reports of diversion of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Initial protests by the locals were dumbed down by saying that a clearing was being made for celebration of a forestry week by the Zila Parishad. “How can Forestry Week be observed by felling trees?” the Minister asked, echoing the outcry voiced by thousands of locals who had gathered on Saturday to protest against the felling.

Mr. Ganguly also said that the mud-bundh (dam), rebuilt after getting washed away by the floods unleashed by Aila would now get washed away again.

Link - http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/11/stor...1156950100.htm