Call Sunderbans’ 18 blocks wildlife sanctuaries

But there seems to be no end to the onslaught to the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which was declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site

It is not an encouraging piece of news that the government could not as yet declare 18 compartments of the Sundarbans as wildlife sanctuaries. Against the backdrop dwindling biodiversity in the forest, an initiative was taken to call them as safe shelter years ago but it is still to become a reality. Quoting the sources of the Forest Department, a report published in this newspaper yesterday mentioned that this Department carried out field studies to gather data on compartment No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11 and 12-B of Sharankhola range, compartment No. 10, 12-A, 13 and 14 of Chandpai range, No. 17, 18, 19 and 20 of Khulna range and No. 49, 51-B and 52 of Satkhira range to announce those as sanctuaries in January last year. 
If the 18 compartments are finally declared as wildlife sanctuaries, nine out of 12 compartments of Sharankhola Range would fall into these sanctuaries. Moreover, it was planned that an eco-tourist spot will be built in the sanctuary areas. That these 18 compartments have not yet become a place of safety for the wildlife only reflects government’s neglect to this environmentally vital place. 
But there seems to be no end to the onslaught to the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which was declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Climate change induced super-cyclones such as Aila and Sidr caused large-scale devastation to the forests. Though the resilient forest has overcome these cyclones’ impact, it could not save itself from poachers and fellers of trees. It was our expectation that if the compartments of the forest declared as sanctuaries, the measures that would be taken following the declaration would protect the flora and fauna of the endangered forest, but it was not to be so. 
As a result, the forest that is home to 375 species of wild animals including Royal Bengal Tiger, deer, crocodile and dolphin, 334 species of evergreen trees, 315 varieties of birds and 210 kinds of fishes remains vulnerable. If left in this state, the number of species will further decline. 
But the point here is: we have to protect the Sunderbans for our own healthy survival. It stands as a bulwark for the lives in plain land against the cyclones that come from the sea. In 2012, the Forest Department announced 18 rivers of the mangrove forest as the sanctuaries of Dolphin to protect the moribund Irrawaddy Dolphin. In line with this, the government ought to take an immediate step to declare 18 compartments of the forest as wildlife sanctuaries.   

Call Sunderbans 18 blocks wildlife sanctuaries

But there seems to be no end to the onslaught to the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which was declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site

It is not an encouraging piece of news that the government could not as yet declare 18 compartments of the Sundarbans as wildlife sanctuaries. Against the backdrop dwindling biodiversity in the forest, an initiative was taken to call them as safe shelter years ago but it is still to become a reality. Quoting the sources of the Forest Department, a report published in this newspaper yesterday mentioned that this Department carried out field studies to gather data on compartment No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11 and 12-B of Sharankhola range, compartment No. 10, 12-A, 13 and 14 of Chandpai range, No. 17, 18, 19 and 20 of Khulna range and No. 49, 51-B and 52 of Satkhira range to announce those as sanctuaries in January last year. If the 18 compartments are finally declared as wildlife sanctuaries, nine out of 12 compartments of Sharankhola Range would fall into these sanctuaries. Moreover, it was planned that an eco-tourist spot will be built in the sanctuary areas. That these 18 compartments have not yet become a place of safety for the wildlife only reflects governments neglect to this environmentally vital place. But there seems to be no end to the onslaught to the Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which was declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Climate change induced super-cyclones such as Aila and Sidr caused large-scale devastation to the forests. Though the resilient forest has overcome these cyclones impact, it could not save itself from poachers and fellers of trees. It was our expectation that if the compartments of the forest declared as sanctuaries, the measures that would be taken following the declaration would protect the flora and fauna of the endangered forest, but it was not to be so. As a result, the forest that is home to 375 species of wild animals including Royal Bengal Tiger, deer, crocodile and dolphin, 334 species of evergreen trees, 315 varieties of birds and 210 kinds of fishes remains vulnerable. If left in this state, the number of species will further decline. But the point here is: we have to protect the Sunderbans for our own healthy survival. It stands as a bulwark for the lives in plain land against the cyclones that come from the sea. In 2012, the Forest Department announced 18 rivers of the mangrove forest as the sanctuaries of Dolphin to protect the moribund Irrawaddy Dolphin. In line with this, the government ought to take an immediate step to declare 18 compartments of the forest as wildlife sanctuaries.