The Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and
a Biosphere
Reserve in West Bengal, India. It is part of the Sundarbans on
the Ganges
Delta, and adjacent to the Sundarban Reserve Forest in Bangladesh.
The delta is
densely covered by mangrove forests,
and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is
also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebratespecies,
including the salt-water
crocodile. The present Sundarban National Park was declared as the
core area of Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977.
On 4 May 1984 it was declared a National Park. It is a UNESCO world heritage site inscribed in 1987,and it has been designated as a Ramsar site since
2019. It is considered as a World Network of
Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Reserve) from 2001.
The first Forest Management Division to have jurisdiction over
the Sundarbans was established in 1869. In 1875 a large portion of the mangrove
forests was declared as reserved forests
under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). The remaining portions of the
forests were declared a reserve forest the following year and the forest, which
was so far administered by the civil administration district, was placed under
the control of the Forest Department. A Forest Division, which is the basic
forest management and administration unit, was created in 1879 with the
headquarters in Khulna,
Bangladesh. The first management plan was written for the period 1893–98.
In 1911, it was described as a tract of unexamined waste country
and was excluded from the census. It then stretched for about 266 kilometres
(165 mi) from the mouth of the Hugli to the
mouth of the Meghna river
and was bordered inland by the three settled districts of the 24
parganas, Khulna and Bakerganj.
The total area (including water) was estimated at 16,900 square kilometres
(6,526 sq mi). It was a water-logged jungle, in which tigers and
other wild beasts abounded. Attempts at reclamation had not been very
successful. The Sundarbans was everywhere intersected by river channels and
creeks, some of which afforded water communication throughout the Bengal region
both for steamers and
for native ships. The maximum part of the delta is located in Bangladesh.
Contents
·
1Administration
·
2Geography
o 2.1Climate
o 2.2Eco-geography, rivers and
watercourses
o 2.3Mudflats
§ 2.3.1Flora and fauna
§ 2.3.2Flora
§ 2.3.3Fauna
§ 2.3.4Avifauna
§ 2.3.5Aquatic fauna
§ 2.3.6Reptiles
§ 2.3.7Endangered species
§ 2.3.8Marine mammals
·
3Management and special projects
o 3.1Constraints
·
4Park-specific information
·
5Sunderban Tiger Reserve
o 5.1Background
o 5.2Damage from Cyclone Aila
o 5.3Challenges
·
6Transport
·
7Ecosystem valuation
·
8See also
·
9References
Administration
The Directorate of Forest is responsible for the administration
and management of Sundarban. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF),
Wildlife & Bio-Diversity & ex-officio Chief Wildlife Warden,
West Bengal, is the senior most executive officer looking over the
administration of the park. The Chief Conservator of Forests (South)
& Director, Sundarban Biosphere Reserve is the administrative head of the
park at the local level and is assisted by a deputy field director and an
assistant field director. The park area is divided into two ranges, overseen by
range forest officers. Each range is further sub-divided into beats. The park
also has floating watch stations and camps to protect the property from
poachers.
The park receives financial aid from the state government as
well as the Ministry of Environment and Forests under
various plan and non-plan budgets. Additional funding is received under
the Project
Tiger from the Central Government. In 2001, a grant of US
$20,000 was received as a preparatory assistance for promotion between India
and Bangladesh from the World
Heritage Fund.
Geography
Sundarban National Park is located in between 21° 432′ – 21° 55′ N latitude and between 88° 42′ – 89° 04′ E longitude. The average altitude of the park is 7.5 m above sea level. 54 small islands compose the park and several distributaries of the Ganges River intersect it.Climate
The average minimum and maximum temperature is 20 °C and
48 °C respectively. Rainfall is heavy with humidity as high as 80% as it
is close to the Bay
of Bengal. The monsoon lasts
from mid-June to mid-September. Prevailing wind is from the north and
north-east from October to mid-March and south west westerlies prevails from
mid-March to September. Storms which sometimes develop into cyclones are common
during the months of May and October.
Eco-geography, rivers and watercourses:
Seven main rivers and innumerable watercourses form a network of
channels at this estuarine delta. All the rivers have a southward course
towards the sea. The eco-geography of this area is totally dependent on the
tidal effect of two flow tides and two ebb tides occurring within 24 hours with
a tidal range of 3–5 m and up to 8 m in normal spring tide, inundating the
whole of Sunderban in varying depths. The tidal action deposits silts back on
the channels and raising the bed, it forms new islands and creeks contributing
to uncertain geomorphology. There is a great natural depression
called "Swatch
of No Ground" in the Bay of Bengal between 21°00' to
21°22' latitude where, the depth of water changes suddenly from 20 m to 500 m. This mysterious depression pushes back
the silts towards south and/or further east to form new islands.
Mudflats
The Sunderban mudflats are found at the estuary and on the
deltaic islands where low velocity of river and tidal current occurs. The flats
are exposed in low tides and submerged in high tides, thus being changed
morphologically even in one tidal cycle. The interior parts of the mudflats are
the right environment for mangroves.
There are a number of mudflats outside the Sundarbans National
Park is a mudflat that have the potential to be tourist spots in the
Sundarbans. One can visit them and enjoy the beauty of the place during low
tide. If one is lucky, one can see Sea Anemones, Horseshoe crab (Nearing
extinction)and small octopus.
Flora and fauna
The coastal active delta of Sunderban at the mouth of Bay of
Bengal in Bangladesh, having a complex geomorphologic and hydrological
character with climatic hazards, has a vast area of mangrove forests with a
variety of flora and diverse fauna in a unique ecosystem. The natural
environment and coastal ecosystem of this Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage
Site is under threat of physical disaster due to unscientific and excessive
human interferences. Conservation and environmental management plan for
safeguarding this unique coastal ecology and ecosystem is urgently required.
Flora
Sundarban has achieved its name from the Sundari Trees. It is
the most exquisite variety of tree that are found in this area, a special kind
of Mangrove tree. It has specialised roots called pneumatophore which
emerge above ground and help in gaseous exchange i.e. respiration. During the
rainy season when the entire forest is waterlogged, the spikes rising from the
ground has their peak in the air and helps in the respiration process.
Fauna
The Sundarbans forest is home to more than 400 tigers. The
royal Bengal
tigers have developed a unique characteristic of swimming in
the saline waters, and are famous for their man-eating tendencies. Tigers can
be seen on the river banks sunbathing between November and February. Apart from
the Bengal
tiger, Fishing
cats, Leopard
cats, Macaques, Wild boar, Indian
grey mongoose, Fox, Jungle cat, Flying fox, Pangolin, Chital, are also
found in abundance in the Sundarbans.
Avifauna
Some of the birds commonly found in this region are openbill storks, black-capped kingfishers, black-headed ibis, water hens, coots, pheasant-tailed jacanas, pariah kites, brahminy kite, marsh harriers, swamp partridges, red junglefowl, spotted doves, common mynahs, jungle crows, jungle babblers, cotton teals, herring gulls, Caspian terns, gray herons, common snipes, wood sandpipers, green pigeons, rose
ringed parakeets, paradise-flycatchers, cormorants, grey-headed fish eagles, white-bellied sea eagles, seagulls, common
kingfishers, peregrine falcons, woodpeckers, whimbrels, black-tailed
godwits, little
stints, eastern knots, curlews, golden plovers, northern pintails, white-eyed
pochards and whistling
teals.
Aquatic fauna
Some of the aquatic animals found in the park are sawfish, butter fish, electric rays, silver carp, starfish, common carp, horseshoe crabs, prawn, shrimps, Gangetic dolphins, skipping frogs, common toads and tree frogs.
Reptiles
The Sundarbans National Park houses a large number of reptiles
as well, including estuarine
crocodiles, chameleons, monitor lizards, turtles,
including olive
ridley, hawksbill,
and green
turtles, and snakes,
including python, king cobra, rat snake, Russell's viper, dog faced water snake, checkered
keelback, and common krait.Endangered species
The endangered species that lives within the Sundarbans
are royal
Bengal tiger, saltwater
crocodile, river
terrapin, olive
ridley turtle, Ganges
River dolphin, hawksbill turtle and mangrove horseshoe crab.
Marine mammals
The proposed Sundarbans Cetacean Diversity Protected
Area, includes the coastal waters off
Sundarbans that host critical habitats for endangered cetaceans;resident groups of Bryde's whales, a
newly rediscovered critical population of Irrawaddy dolphins,Ganges
River dolphins, and Chinese white dolphins. Finless porpoises, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins,
and pantropical spotted dolphins are also found in
this area while false
killer whales and rough-toothed dolphins are rarer.Management and special projects
The Bengal Tiger is the commonly found species in the park. Having protection since its creation, the core area is free from all human disturbances such as collection of wood, honey, fishing, and other forest products. However, in the buffer area, these activities are permitted in limited form. The forest staff, using motorboats and launches, protect the park from illegal poaching and theft. Forest offices and camps are located at several important parts of the park. Under the supervision of a range officer, two or three experienced workers manage anti-poaching camps.Habitat of wildlife is maintained through eco-conservation, eco-development, training, education and research. Ten Forest Protection Committees and 14 Eco-development Committees have been formed in the fringe of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve to help in this regard. Seminars, workshops and awareness camps are organised in the vicinity of park to educate the people on eco-conservation, eco-development and such other issues. Mangrove and other plants are planted in the fringe area to meet the local need of fuel wood for about 1000 villages and to conserve the buffer area. Conservation of soil is done to maintain the ecological balance. Several sweet water ponds have been dug up inside the park to provide drinking water for the wild animals.
Controlling man-eating tigers is another major activity. The number of casualties has been reduced from 40 to 10 per year. The reduction in number of casualties is a result of strict control over the movement of the people inside the tiger reserve, alternative income generation and awareness building among people. It is also believed that due to use of human masks and electric human dummies the tigers will stay away from the people. Straying of tigers into nearby villages is prevented through measures such as nylon net fencing and solar illumination of villages. The youths of the villages are given training in controlling the straying of tigers into the villages.
The Mangrove Interpretation Centre is established at Sajnekhali to make the local people and tourists aware of the importance of conservation of nature in general and specially the mangrove ecosystems.
Constraints
Though protection exists in the park, there are a few loopholes. The geographical topography with hostile terrain cris-crossed by several rivers and their tributaries, long international border with Bangladesh, fishing trawlers and launches enables poaching and the cutting of wood, affecting the mangrove forests. Lack of staff, infrastructure and lack of funds exacerbate the situation.Park-specific information
The only means of travelling the park is to by boat, down the
various lanes formed by the many flowing rivers. Local boats or vessels
operated by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, namely M.V. Chitrarekha and
M.V. Sarbajaya. Whereas accommodation on land and cruise safari's
are provided by Sunderban Tiger Camp the only luxury
government approved resort in the region.Apart from viewing the wildlife from boat safaris, visitors also
visit the Bhagatpur Crocodile Project, a crocodile breeding farm, Sagar Island, Jambudweep,
Sudhanyakali watchtower, Buriidabri Tiger Project, Netidhopani
Watchtower, Haliday Island, Kanak, and Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary .Sunderban Tiger Reserve
Background
The Sunderban Tiger Reserve is located in South 24 Paraganas, West Bengal and has a total geographical
area of 2585 km2 with 1437.4 km2 consisting of populated areas and forest covering
1474 km2. Sunderban landscape is continuous with the
mangrove habitat in Bangladesh.
Sunderban mangroves form part of the subcontinent's largest
mangrove system with a tiger population in a distinct ecological setting. These
forests have salt water crocodiles, estuarine and marine turtles and a number
of bird species. Besides tiger, the reserve has fishing cat, spotted deer,
rhesus monkey and wild pigs.
The Sunderban is isolated with no forest connection to other
tiger-occupied main land. Hence, there is heavy biotic pressure for forest
resources. On average 500 quintals of
honey and 30 quintals of wax are collected each year by local people under
licence from Forest Department. The habitat is traversed by many narrow tidal channels forming
small to large islands. Tigers readily cross these islands and man-tiger
interactions are common.
The estimation of tiger population in Sunderban, as a part of
the all India tiger estimation using the refined methodology, could not be
carried out owing to the unique habitat and obliteration of evidences due to
high and low tides. Phase-I data collection has been completed and process is
on for tiger estimation using a combination of radio telemetry and pugmark deposition
rate from known tigers.
Damage from Cyclone Aila
Cyclone
Aila struck Sunderban on 25 May 2009, causing damage to field
camps and fringe villages bordering the reserve. Breaches in the embankments on
the village side have caused large scale flooding, leaving lakhs of people marooned in the area. The
field camps were under 12 to 15 feet of water for around seven hours, resulting
in soil erosion and damage to staff quarters, generators and bamboo pilling.
There was a report of a tiger wandering inside an abandoned cattle shed in a
village, which was captured and released back in the wild. No tiger death has
been reported, apart from mortality of two spotted deer. Several NGOs have been
involved in the relief operation.
The Forest Department of the State has constituted a Committee
and has assessed a damage of almost Rs. 11150,000. Central assistance amounting
to Rs. 10 million under Project Tiger has been provided to the State for
restoring the damage done to infrastructure.
Challenges
The Sunderban Tiger Reserve has several challenges to its future
operations. Due to wandering tigers, man-tiger conflict continues to be an
issue. Sunderban tigers hunt humans, and it is estimated that over a thousand
of the local people have been killed by tigers over the past four decades. An estimation of the number of tigers
present in the reserve using the refined method has not yet been completed. A
tiger conservation plan is awaited as are constitutions for the State level
Steering Committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister and the
reserve-specific Tiger Conservation Foundation.
Transport
Air: Sundarban National Park is located 140 km away from Kolkata Airport (also known as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Airport and Dum Dum Airport).Rail: The nearest Railway station of Sundarban National Park is Canning Railway station which is located 29 km far from the Gate way of Sundarban (i.e. Godhkhali).
Road: Sundarban National Park is well connected with Kolkata – Basanti Highway.
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