In the aftermath of the Cyclone Amphan, the Sundarbans is reeling from the worst effects of the the tropical storm. Millions have lost their homes and livelihoods and are urgently in need of help and support to resurrect their lives. The Sundarbans-based wildlife organisation SHER and Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) forest management, with support from Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) are on ground zero of the cyclonic disaster engaged neck-deep in intensive relief work.

SHER and STR, with support from WCT, have been working tirelessly on the ground to provide relief supplies to various villages in the Basirhat Range and Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary range

Photo courtesy: SHER

Touted as one of the worst cyclones to have formed over the Bay of Bengal in almost a century, cyclone Amphan made a catastrophic landfall on India’s eastern coast on May 20, 2020, leaving behind a trail of utter destruction in the state of West Bengal.

The world’s largest mangrove delta, the Sundarbans, having absorbed much of the shock from the landfall has undoubtedly helped in breaking the impact of storm surges and tidal waves further inland. But, in turn, has been hit the worst. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated to relief camps, but their homes and livelihoods have been devastated by the storm and inflow of saline sea water into agricultural lands and freshwater sources. The inhabitants of the Sundarbans have much to contend with already in the form of challenging natural conditions of the Ganges delta, worst impacts of climate change in the form of severe erosion, rising sea levels and erratic weather patterns, all further accentuated by the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown.

The Sundarbans-based wildlife organisation SHER and Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) forest management, with support from Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) are on ground zero of the cyclonic disaster engaged neck-deep in intensive relief work.

Photo courtesy: SHER

In all the chaos, millions of people in the Sundarbans have been rendered homeless and are unable to meet their basic requirements of food and water. SHER and STR, with support from WCT, have been working tirelessly on the ground to provide relief supplies to various villages in the Basirhat Range and Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary range, situated on the fringes of STR. The villages that have been reached out to in Phase-1 of the relief work include Kalidaspur, Bagnapara, Hetalbari, Kumirmari, Mollahkhali, Dayapur, Pakhiralaya, Jotirampur and Rangabelia. All supplies have been distributed to the people through Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and all these efforts are being meticulously supervised and guided by the STR forest management staff. In Phase-1, large high gauged tarpaulin sheets, water containers, soap, first aid and emergency medicines, ORS sachets and vegetables were distributed to people.

Cyclone Amphan: Relief Work in the Sundarbans

Photo courtesy: SHER

SHER and STR have installed a community kitchen in some of these areas, and will continue to provide relief supplies and support to the communities till the brackish sea water recedes and people can resume some of their livelihood activities.

In the severely affected villages under the Basirhat Range and on the Rangabelia island which falls under the Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary range, large populations have been uprooted and dispersed by the cyclone. They are entirely dependent on the relief work provided, and it will be a long, hard road to achieving normalcy.

Cyclone Amphan: Relief Work in the Sundarbans

Photo courtesy: SHER

A silver lining amidst this tragedy is that the mangrove forests haven’t been direly impacted by the cyclone, and there have been no reports of wildlife casualties so far. Tigers have been sighted regularly from patrol boats and camps, as well as other wildlife. The cyclone did tear down the nylon net fencing encircling sensitive areas of the tiger reserve in various places, but the field staff of STR promptly got down to repairing and reconstructing the fence.

SHER, STR and WCT are in the process of setting up Phase – II and III of the ground relief work in the disaster areas in the Sundarbans.

View Report

Cyclone Amphan: Overview of WCT-aided relief work in the fringe villages of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in collaboration with SHER and the Forest Department.

Related Links