Even as our planet is in the grip of the COVID Pandemic, a furious cyclone , Amphan, the worst in living memory, has hit the South Bengal coastline, bringing unprecedented misery and destruction to millions. With an eye that was 30 kms in diameter and a windspeed of 185 km/ hr during landfall, the cyclone left a trail of devastation in the coastal areas, with the people gasping for survival. Thousands were evacuated and found temporary shelter in cyclone shelters, flood centres, school buildings in the ravaged areas.
In Sundarban, the ecologically fragile riverine landscape, whichever way you look now, there is only despair and destruction. Thousands of mud houses have been flattened, temporary roofs have been blown away, thousands of trees felled in a matter of hours. Earthen embankments have been breached in several areas, and surging, frothing saline water has flooded hundreds of hectares of land, fish ponds, vegetable gardens. The paddy fields have been inundated, banana orchards spoilt, livestock destroyed, betel vines, paddy storehouses reduced to shambles. Till date, after 5 days of the cyclone, there is no news from Sagar, except one Gram Panchayat in Dhaspara II. No news yet from Buraburir tot, G plot island. Namkhana, Mousuni, Haripur – trees bear a deadly look, as if singed and burnt.
Heavy damages to the earthen embankments have wrecked life in Deulbari, Kaikhali, Debipur, Bhubaneswari, Bongheri, Andheria areas of Kultali block, Ramchandrakhali , Bharatgarh,Jharkhali at Basanti Block,Rangabelia, Bipradaspur, Shambhunagar,Kumirmari at Gosaba Block,G Plot, Ramganga, at Patharpratima Block, in South 24 Parganas and Haridaskati , Samsernagar, Hemnagar, Jagannath Ghat, Sardar Para 1 & 2 of Hingalgunj Block of North 24 Parganas. Saline water flooding miles of crop land will spell disaster as this would severely affect agriculture, fish farming, and sustainable livelihood in large areas of Sundarban.
With life on the edge, living under the open skies in inhospitable terrain and livelihood threatened, a helpless population is devastated. But, in the face of such odds, the people are attempting to rise onto their feet again.
They must. And they will.
They would need support from us, both short term and also for the long haul. Many of them are critical for the survival of a fragile Sundarban.They have been protecting the forests, preserving the mangrove bio shield, engaging in sustainable farming, cultivating with the natural processes, restoring and helping preserve the delicate balance between conservation and development.
Some help needs to be rushed immediately, Dry food, tarpaulin sheets, packaged water, carry mats, candles, match boxes, solar lights, bleaching powder, and medicines.
In the long run, Pucca houses have to be built, their agricultural practices have to be revived. For the youth and the able bodied, suitable livelihood options have to be built around natural resources in a sustainable way, So that they may have the resilience to fight and the dignity to live.
For over twenty five years, Nature Environment & Wildlife Society ,NEWS, in association with reputed International & National Funding bodies have been steadfastly working in the Sundarban backyard in order to develop Stewardship for sustainable management of natural resources. It has been working for the long term rehabilitation and protection of the tropical mangrove ecosystems, as a contribution to climate & coastal protection. It has been working with the participation of the local communities, empowering the women, promoting the practice of a wide range of sustainable livelihood options that include Integrated Mangrove aquaculture, Climate smart farming, Organic kitchen gardens, Bee keeping, Backyard Poultry farming , Culture fisheries and Crab farming, Rain water harvesting, Horticulture etc. It has promoted the Badabon Farmers Producer Company Limited and its brand , Badabon Harvest has enriched the value chain and helped foster market linkage -bringing the Sundarban farmers and urban consumers closer.
There is no going back on all this.
NEWS is fully committed to its mission and vision and has joined the helpless community and started the rebuilding operation, brick by brick.
In this grim battle, your help and assistance are most welcome.
What we can do alone, we can do much better, when we have our friends and well-wishers lending a hand, in all capacities !