Sunderbans Tiger Reserve / National Park

The holy Ganga journeys down the Himalayas and flows along India’s vast monotonous plains into the state of West Bengal. Towards the southern tip of the state, the land and the Bay of Bengal break out into a lively welcoming fandango to form a fresco of tangled mangrove swamps – the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans are spread out over an area of 16,500sq km in the prostrate delta towards the mouth of the Ganga, and form the world’s largest estuarine forests that constitute 80% of India’s total mangrove swamps. A World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans are also amongst the richest biosphere reserves in the subcontinent. The silt deposit islands on the Sunderbans Delta are connected to the mainland through a labyrinthine waterway system, with some islands being practically impenetrable. This has turned out to be a boon in disguise because the ecology of the area and these fecund marshlands, wired in thick foliage, are able to support an astonishing variety of plant and animal life. Twenty-six of the fifty broad mangrove types found in the world, thrive in the Sunderbans. In order to preserve this clearly unique biosphere, the area between River Hooghly and the River Teulia was declared a National Park in the year 1984. The protected reserve covers a stretch of 1,330sq km, and also constitutes the core zone of the National Park.

The cluster of mangrove-covered islands known as the Sunderbans, or "beautiful forest", lie in the Ganges Delta, stretching east from the mouth of the Hooghly to Bangladesh. They are home to the legendary Royal Bengal tiger, a ferocious man-eater which has adapted remarkably well to this watery environment, swimming from island to island and covering distances of as much as 40km in one day. Other wildlife include wild boar, spotted deer, Olive Ridley sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and large estuarine crocodiles. Among the half-million or so people who find themselves sharing this delicate ecosystem with the mighty cats are honey collectors, woodcutters and fisherfolk. All, regardless of their official religion, worship Banbibi, the goddess of the forest, and her Muslim consort Dakshin Rai, supreme ruler of the Sunderbans; their occupations are so hazardous that wives take off all their marriage ornaments when their husbands go out to hunt, fish or farm, becoming widows until they return. As the tigers like to creep up from behind, the honey collectors and woodcutters wear masks at the back of their heads. Meanwhile, the women and children drag nets along the estuary shores to catch prawns - no less hazardous, considering they have to deal with crocodiles and sharks as well as tigers.

This littoral forest is the only ecological habitat of the tiger of its kind not only in India but also in the world except in Bangladesh. The typical littoral forests of Sundarbans comprises of a host of trees species adopted to the peculiar estuarine condition of high salinity, lack of soil erosion and daily inundation by high tides. The tidal forms and the mangrove vegetation in Sundarban are responsible for dynamic eco-system vigorous nutrient cycling both terrestrial and aquatic. The whole eco-system is sensitive to changes in salinity and the continuous cycle of erosion and deposition is affecting the plant communities giving rise to dynamic floristic changes. The plant communities are continuously adjusting to the new conditions. Sundarbans Tiger Reserve provides characteristic type of habitat suitable for animals inhabiting vast tidal swamp area. Because of their intimate association with the estuarine environment, sizeable portion of aquatic and semi-aquatic animal communities are inter-related with the animals inhabiting the land areas. The uniqueness of the habitat is said to have contributed to certain behavioral trends, which are characteristic of Sundarbans tigers only. It is considered that man-eating propensity of tiger in this area is hereditary acquired over a period of generations in the process of consumption of saline water.

Cheetal, wild boar, rhesus macaque are the main prey species of tiger. Aquatic animals like the crabs and fishes are also eaten by Sundarban tiger which occupies the pinnacle of both terrestrial as well as aquatic food-web. Sundarbans mangrove is the home of a number of endangered and globally threatened species. The Bengal Tiger and the fishing cat are getting effective protection here. The creeks of Sundarbans form the home of Estuarine Crocodile, Salvator Lizard (Water Monitor), River Terrapin and Horse Shoe or King Crab. This area serves as the nesting ground for endangered marine turtles like Olive Ridley, Green Turtle and Hawk's Bill Turtles. The aquatic endangered mammals like Genetic Dolphins thrive within mangrove creeks close to sea. Number of heronries form here during monsoon as well as during winter. It is home for Trans-Himalayan migratory birds.

Conservation History
The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, created in 1973, was the part of the then 24-Pargans Division. Subsequently the area comprising of the present tiger reserve was constituted as Reserve Forest in 1978. The total area of the Sunderbans is 9630 sq. km. out of which 4264 sq. km. bears mangrove forest. The area of the Reserve is 2585 sq. km. covering land area of 1600 sq. km. and water body over 985 sq. km. Within this area 1330.12 sq. km. is designated as core area, which was subsequently declared as Sundarban National Park in 1984. An area of 124.40 sq. km. within the core area is preserved as primitive zone to act as gene pool. Within the buffer zone, Sajnekhali Wildlife sanctuary was created in 1976 covering an area of 362.335 sq. km. Considering the importance of the biogeographic region of Bengalian River Forests and its unique biodiversity the National Park area of the Reserve was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. Whole Sundarbans area was declared as Biosphere Reserve in 1989.

Forest Types

Tidal swamp forests,Saline water type mixed forests ,brackish water type mixed forests palm swamp type

Major Flora

There are 64 plant species in Sundarbans and they have the capacity to withstand estuarine conditions and saline inundation on account of tidal effects.

Main Species
Excaecaria sp., Heritiera sp., Ceriops sp., Phoenix sp., Sonneratia sp., Avicennia sp., Rhizophora sp., Xylocarpus sp., Bruguiera sp. etc.

Major Fauna

Main Species
Tiger, fishing cat, chital, wildboar, water monitor, estuarine crocodile.

Endanger Species
Tiger, Estuarian Crocodile, River Terrapin (Batagur baska), Olive Ridlay Turtle, Gangetic Dolphin, Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle, King Crabs (Horse shoe)

Management

Practices, Achievements and Shortfalls -
The Reserve has received effective protection under Project Tiger since its creation. The core area is free from all human disturbances like fishing, collection of wood, honey and other forest produces while in buffer fishing, honey collection and wood cutting are permitted to a limited extent. Protection against poaching and theft of forest produce has been ensured through intensive patrolling by staff in motorboats and launches. The offices and camps are located at strategic points to keep a watch over the area. There exists an effective communication network for protection. Furthermore, the staff is well armed. Intensive management takes care of the maintenance and improvement of the habitat through eco-conservation, eco-development, education, training and research. Mud-flats on the periphery of the reserve are artificially regenerated with mangrove plants to meet local fuel wood demand and reduce the pressure on buffer. Non-mangrove plantations are also raised along roads and embankments of the fringe area to cater the need of the fringe people. Soil conservation is taken up to stabilize the vulnerable sites. To facilitate the availability of sweet water for animals, ponds have been dug at several places in the forest.

The other main activity is controlling man-eating by tigers which existed here since time immemorial and the number of casualties have been reduced from more than 40 to less than 10 per year. This has become possible due to strict control over the movement of the people inside the tiger reserve, alternative income generation and awareness building among people. Use of human-masks, electric human dummies etc. are believed to have also contributed in controlling man-eating by tigers. The straying of tigers into the adjoining villages is a serious problem in the area. Measures like erection of branches of genwa, nylon net fencing at forest side and solar illumination at village side at night have however, helped to reduce the incidents of tiger straying. For rescuing the strayed tiger, method of tranquilization using dart gun is also applied where driving of the tiger to the nearby forest is not possible. The youth of the villages have also been imparted training to enable them to play appropriate role in controlling the straying of the tigers into the habitation.

Special Projects
The Reserve has successfully launched a special programme to conserve the highly endangered Olive Ridley Turtles. Hatching of Olive Ridley Turtles and River Terrapin is done at Sajnekhali to replenish their population.

Eco-development
Co-operation of fringe people in the conservation of the tiger habitat, as it could gradually be felt, has been possible through constant motivation and awareness building of the people as well as increased public liaison and their involvement in the planning process for implementation of eco-development programme. Participatory Management has already been introduced in Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and 10 Forest Protection Committees and 14 Eco-development Committees have been formed in the fringe of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and the response is positive. In Sundarbans the following eco-development activities have been undertaken.

1. Excavation of rain water irrigation channel to increase agricultural production.
2. Provision of pisciculture ponds in the buffer area to be managed by village co-operative for prawns and sweet water fish. This will help in income generation.
3. Provision of Solar lights in the villages on the periphery both for lighting as well as to scare away tiger from straying into the villages.
4. Provision of smokeless chullahs for optimization of fuel consumption.
5. Raising mangrove plantations on the periphery to meet local fuel wood demand
6. Provision of medical care facilities to the villagers through collaborative efforts of the Management and NGOs
7. Village Forest Protection Committees
8. Ten Village Forest Protection Committees have been formed by the management and villagers.

Education and Awareness
Mangrove eco-system is very fragile and people's sustenance in the area, again, mainly depends on the maintenance and sustainable use of the eco-system. At the same time this eco-system is the most productive eco-system on the planet guiding the benefit of the nutrient cycling of both terrestrial as well as marine system. Therefore, understanding of the system and its importance is very useful to the people and awareness building among the people around the mangrove forest is necessary. Educating people around the Reserve about the importance of conservation of mangrove eco-system and its natural resources as well as launching of programme of training and demonstration of improvised technology for bringing socio-economic development in the region will certainly help in the conservation of this unique ecosystem. Thus, seminars, workshops, awareness camps etc are organised frequently in the vicinity of Reserve. Interpretation trips are also arranged for school students, villagers, Panchayat members and women. Audio-visual equipment is being used to highlight the need of conservation of nature and eco-system. Short term training course about the mangrove eco-system are conducted for the registered local tourist guides, which has generated local interest and employment. The Mangrove Interpretation Centre established at Sajnekhali will play a great role in awareness building and orientation of the people and tourist towards the paramount importance of conservation of nature in general and the mangrove eco-systems in particular.

Protection Squads / Patrolling
Anti-poaching camps are manned by 2-3 knowledgeable labourers and supervised by concerned beat guard/Forester/Range officer.

Constraints
There is no denying the fact that the mangrove zone because of its difficult geographic situation and hostile terrain criss-crossed by a network of turbulent streams and having long stretch of international border with Bangladesh and fishing arena in the sea for thousands of trawlers and mechanised boats is vulnerable to various threats like poaching of animals and pilferage of woods. Compared to the size of this protected area and the proportion of problems which is encountered here the logistic support in terms of staff strength, infrastructure facilities and availability of fund is inadequate.

Human population
There is no village inside the Reserve.

Outside the Tiger Reserve there are more than 1000 villages within Sundarbans area out of which around 100 villages are very close to STR at the north and north-west fringe of the Reserve.

Livestock population
There is no livestock in the Reserve.

Encroachment
There is no encroachment within the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve area. An attempt for encroachment was made in 1978 in the Jhila Block (Marichjhapadi) by the refugees from Bangladesh but the attempt was thwarted and the area was made free from encroachers.

Grazing
As the mangrove forest of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve is bounded all through its periphery by streams and creeks, there is no problem of cattle grazing within the reserve.

Fire
Fire does not occur.

Poaching of fauna and flora
The core area of the Reserve is free from all biotic interference though attempts of fishing are a disturbance.

Diseases
There has been no incidence of epidemic

Control of the Buffer
Control of buffer is with the management of the Reserve.

Conflicts

Man-Animal
Man-eating propensity of Sundarban tiger has been a great problem. This happens with either attack on villagers entering the forest or by tiger straying into the habitation. Numerous steps taken by the management has mitigated this problem to a large extent.

Man-Forest
Dire poverty urges the people of Sundarbans to frequent the forest in search of livelihood. Some of them take the risk of cyclone for fishing and other enter the forest to collect honey and fuel wood. The vulnerable mangrove eco-system is under stress due to such interference.

Wild Animal - Forest
Total protection of vegetation in the core area without any manipulation of crop density appears not to create ideal habitat condition for the tiger and its prey animals


SALIENT FEATURES

Area
Core : 1330 sq km

Buffer : 1255 sq km

Total : 2585 sq. km.

Longitude : 88°05' and 89°10' East

Latitude : 21°32' and 22°40' North

Altitude : 5.8 m to 6.1 m above M.S.L.

Rainfall : Average annual 1920.30 mm


Temperature

Minimum : 20° C

Maximum : 33.88° C

Seasons

Winter - October to January

Summer - February to May

Monsoon - June to September


HIGHWAYS
Proposal for National Waterways through Sundarban: The proposed National water ways if declared through the mangrove forests of Sundarbans particularly through the portion of Tiger Reserve will adversely affect the ecosystem destroying the flora and fauna due to large scale human activities within the protected area, dredging of streams and oil spills of numerous water crafts and vessels carrying cargo.

TOURISM
The entry of the tourists is restricted only within buffer area. There is one tourist lodge at Sajnakhati to provide accommodation facilities for the tourists. Zilla Parishad, 24 Pgns(N) has also created accommodation facility at Hemnagar close to the Northern boundary of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve.
Year National Foreigner
1992-93 25824 5%
1993-94 23437 6%
1994-95 41818 8%
1995-96 45354 8%
1996-97 35515 7%

REACHING THERE
By Air
Dum Dum (166kms), is the nearest airport at Calcutta.

By Rail
The nearest railhead is at Canning, 48 km away. The nearest town is Gosaba, 50 km away.
Sunderbans is accessible only by riverine waterways. From Calcutta there are suburban trains to Canning and buses to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where motor launch services are available for Sunderbans.

By Road
Means of road transport are available from Calcutta for the places like Namkhana (105 km), Sonakhali (100 km), Raidighi (76 km), Canning (64 km), and Najat (92 km), which are all near the Sunderbans and have access to the riverine waterways leading to it.
Waterways
The approximate time taken between various points is :

From Namkhana - Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project (2.5 hours) Sagar Island (2.5 hours) Jambudwip (3.5 hours)

From Sajnekhali - Sudhanyakhali (40 minutes) Buridabri (Tiger Project Area) (5 hours) Netidhopan (3.5 hours) Holiday Island (3 hours)

From Sonakhali - Gosaba (1 hour) From Raidighi - Kalas (5 hours).

Practicalities
Foreigners require a permit to visit the Sunderbans; if you're travelling to the area independently (tour companies will get them for you), get your permit in advance from the WB Tourist Centre in Kolkata. You'll also need to book accommodation in the main camp of the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, at the tiny hamlet of SAJNEKHALI, which is sealed off from the jungle by wire fencing (though tigers still stray into the compound); permits are meticulously checked as you pass through the gates, where you are also required to pay for an additional day permit (Rs15), plus the entry fee (Rs5) and, if applicable, camera fees. The Sunderbans Jungle Camp itself is a large ramshackle forest lodge built on stilts; the price includes meals. The adjacent Project Tiger compound has a mini zoo, a small museum and a watchtower. Food is left out for the wild animals in the late afternoons, which invariably attracts deer and monkeys but rarely tigers. However, the cats have been known to jump the fence and it's advised not to venture out after dark. Other Sunderbans watchtowers stand at Sudhannyakhali, Haldi and Netidhopani, near the ruins of a four-hundred-year-old temple that's approached via caged pathways meant to protect you from the very real threat of tiger attack.

All transport within the reserve is by boat; these can be rented with the help of the lodge staff for around Rs1000 per whole day - you have to take along a Project Tiger guide (Rs200). The loud diesel motors of the boats tend to scare wildlife away, but when they cut their engines the silence is awesome.

The best times to visit are winter and spring. As getting to the Sunderbans from Kolkata is a laborious process, you might want to opt for an all-inclusive package tour booked through the West Bengal Tourist Centre (033/2248 5917). Two- and three-day packages with stays either on the boat or at the Tourist Lodge, start from Rs1175. The cruises can get crowded and don't expect peace and quiet. The main disadvantage of joining such large tours is that the general chatter reduces the likelihood of seeing any animals, and the cruises can get crowded. Tailor-made tours by private operators tend to be more peaceful and leisurely: try Australian Kali Travel Home, or Neil Law of Himalayan Footprints. Help Tourism have their own resort, a tasteful development of thatched cottages on Bali island near the reserve and employ local villagers as guides; they also have their own boat. Prices (from Rs5000 for a three-day package) are steep, but the opportunity to get deep into the forest makes it worth a splurge. The cheaper but less imaginative Sunderbans Tiger Camp (033/2229 8606, sunderbanstigercamp@hotmail.com; Rs1000–3000) in Dayapur near Gosaba, is in the core area of the reserve; most guests staying here are on one of the WBTC tours from Kolkata. The range of accommodation, all in a secure compound, includes two- to four-man tents and comfortable a/c cottages. Three-day packages cost from Rs2550.

Getting to the Sunderbans using public transport is complicated, whether by train (from Sealdah; the route is outlined in reverse, below) or by bus. To go by road, start by catching a bus from Babu Ghat to Basanti (4 daily; 3hr); aim for the one at 7am. From Basanti, you cross by ferry to Gosaba, an hour-long trip through the delta - sit well away from the belching diesel engines. Sajnekhali is a six-kilometre cycle rickshaw ride from Gosaba. Finally, to reach the Project Tiger compound itself, and the Tourist Lodge, you have to cross the estuarine channel on a country boat from the further back and less likely looking of the two ghats. There isn't usually a lot of traffic around here, so you may well have to wait or appeal to local boatmen. Returning to Kolkata, allow plenty of time to make all the connections; the last bus leaves Basanti around 4pm. Alternatively, shared auto-scooters from Basanti can take you to Doc Ghat (30min), to pick up a boat across the river to Canning, and then a local train to Sealdah via Ballygunge station. If you're unlucky enough to find that the tide is out when you get to Canning, you're faced with a laborious 500-metre wade through calf-deep squelchy mud. A short walk through the town brings you to the station, where there are taps to wash off the mud. Your reward is the train ride itself, infinitely faster and more comfortable than the bus.

STAYING THERE
Forest lodges and forest rest houses are available for accommodation at Sajnekhali.

LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
At Sajnekhali, STD/ISD facilities and postal facilities are available. Internet facilities are available

TRAVEL TIPS
Permission has to be acquired to visit the tiger reserve from the Field Director, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, Port Canning.
CONTACT FIELD DIRECTOR

Field Director,
Sundarbans Tiger Reserves P.O.
Canning Twon,
District 24 Parganas,
West Bengal-743329
Telephone No.- 03218-256159(O) & 255280(O), 033-24746342(R)
Fax N0 - 256159 Tele-Fax
E-mail address - suntiger@cal2.vsnl.net.in

If you are planning to visit Sunderbans National park you can refer the Sunderban Accommodation Guide. If you have any other queries, you can ask the Kolkata City Expert. Sunderbans is the world's largest Mangroves, its a different type of Reserve forest and a nust go.