Sanctuary for plunderers, not for animals

Sanctuary for plunderers, not for animals

Loggers' and fishermen’s depredations destroying Sundarbans

By Dr.Fourkan Ali

The sanctuaries in the Sundarbans, which has been declared a World Heritage Site, have become sanctuaries for plunderers instead of sanctuaries for wild animals. Felling of trees is going on unhindered though the entire Sundarbans has been declared a reserve forest. Even the sanctuaries are not free from depredation. Fishing in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans and within the 5-mile limit from the seashore has been prohibited but the fishermen are fishing freely, without any hindrance by the legal authority A cargo boat was detained on November 11, 2000 on Alibanda canal in Sarankhola range while it was smuggling out Sundari wood worth Tk. 5 lakhs. Experts on the Sundarbans have blamed avaricious smugglers of timber and forest dacoits and their criminal collaboration with a section of forest officials. The forest officials, however, bemoaned their limited manpower and unsophisticated weapons. They also said that they do not have modem vessels to patrol the forest areas, Even the sanctioned amount of fuel for the vessels has been reduced, they complained.

It was decided at a Cabinet meeting in May 2000 that no tree can be cut in the reserve forests up to the year 2005 in order to preserve bio-diversity. Before that the Cabinet decided in 1990 that no trees could be felled till August 12, 2000, The period of this ban has been further extended by five years.

Similar flouting of the law was noticed on a recent inspection of the Sundarbans, especially in the Kalka sanctuary. After we proceeded by boat along Jamtala tower canal in Kalka and entered a narrow canal we saw a huge boat standing still, blocking the entire canal. Nearby, on the canal bank, a shed had been built with felled trees of the forest and roofed with Chhan (a species of reeds that grows on river banks). When we neared the shed we found 14/15 persons of different age groups busy with their morning chores. Smoke was spiraling up from the stove; cooking was being done by burning wood from the sanctuary. We talked to Haroon (20). He hails from Sarankhola. They were there for the last one month and would stay there for 15 day more. They would cut chhan and take the boatload to Bagerhat and sell it there. About 20 gewa trees would be cut and placed cross-wise on the boat and then covered with chhan before their departure. A few steps away we talked to laborer jasim (25) who was busy cutting chhan. He informed us that they have been dependent on the Sundarbans for several generations. Previously they used to fell trees, but now they cut chhan. Their mahajan (employer) would get Tic 20,000 per boatload of chhan. However the wage of the laborers was only Tk. 60 per day.

Though fishing is banned in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans and up to 5 miles from the seashore, the fishermen were fishing there freely. They usually procure a permit to fish outside the banned areas and then fish both inside and outside such areas. Previously fishing was being carried out under the patronage of big businessmen. They were told to leave the area by the forest department after the three sanctuaries were declared to be part of the world heritage in 1997. A fish trader named Rambabu is staying at Katka and conducting his fishing business. About 40 to 50 fishermen under him are fishing without hindrance within the Kafka sanctuary and its surrounding areas. He is well known to the officials and employees of the forest department.

On paper it is recorded that about 400 species of fish are found in the rivers, canals and creeks in the Sundarbans and the nearby sea. But the existence of many kinds of fish is threatened. About 80 per cent of the shrimp fry is collected from the rivers of the Sundarbans and die adjacent sea. It is known that two to two and a half lakh fishermen go to die Sundarbans every year to fish. They use various types of nets, including the 'Behundi net’, the ‘Ilisha net’ and 'current net', and catch fish and shrimps and prawns. Experts think that in the process the fry of 235 other species are killed. In the meantime two kinds of fish- bundi beley and auspati- have become extinct.

These fishermen have played a very destructive role in the forest. During the spawning season about 30 boats go to catch bagda (prawn) fries every week, according to 'Rupantar‘, the Sundarbans study group. On an average 10,000 fishermen catch fish in the Sundarbans area. They catch at least 10 metric tons of fish everyday. At the same time they destroy the fry and discard the bodies of 100 tons more of fish that are not considered to be edible. They return home after a week or two. Every time they enter the forest they cut trees and golpata to make boat roofs (Chhai). They also make anchors with timber. Moreover; the fishermen cook thrice daily, burning about 50 tons of dry wood. While walking along Katka sea beach we found two fishing boats lying close to the bank One boat fled before we could approach it. The other was also preparing to flee but we hailed the people on the boat. "We are tourists, we have come to visit the Sundarbans. We want to talk to you," we told them. There were four persons squatting on the boat. They were Jalil, Jehangir, Fakir and Mostofa. They hail from the village Padmashumi of Patharghata thana in Borguna district. We were told that the place in which we were standing was Badamtala Later the forest officials informed us that the place is named Bhulurdia.

Among the fishermen Mostafa (36) replied to most of the questions. He informed us that they pay the forest department personnel Tk. 83 per head for permits to catch fish.

Previously they could fish unhindered in areas near Katka Kachikhali but after the Awami league came to power the forest department had asked them not to fish in the area because the sanctuary had been declared a part of the world heritage. But they informed us that they are continuing to catch fish.

The deputy ranger; K. M. Shahidullah of the Supati station, said that the forest guards have only 6 firearms with them and the manpower is also inadequate. Earlier 1,200 liters of fuel were sanctioned per month to patrol the area in spite of the fact that the actual requirement was 2,000 liters. But now they get only 100 liters per month. This has resulted in reduction of patrol duty.

A large portion of the Badamtala Bhulurdia coastal forest looked as if it had been devastated by a cyclone. Fishermen Jehangir (25) and Jalil (40) informed us that actually it was not due to a cyclone-the trees were uprooted by the tidal surge and wave action of the sea between Chaitra and Ashwin (roughly March-September). It was found that trees had fallen either due to shifting of the soil around the roots or because their trunks had been broken a few inches up from the roots.

                         Sundarbans face Information Errors

The largest world heritage of the world, the Sundarbans, is situated in the south-western part of Bangladesh. The Sundarbans touch the part of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts. A connected set of four hundred (400) rivers and cannels along with near about two hundreds (200) small and large islands unites the mangrove forest. There are two types of explanation for its name. The Sundarbans is beset with mostly one kind of trees locally name as SUNDORI, and for that the name of the forest is “Sundarbans”. Another idea is that the forest is situated near sea. The Bengali name of sea is “SUMANDOR”. Thus from the term “SUMANDOR” next to “SUMANDORBAN” and from there “SUNDARBANS”. The later idea is accepted by most of the people.

There are much more confusions and errors regarding the information of the Sundarbans rather than its name. UNESCO (United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization) declared the Sundarbans as 798^th World Heritage. But history didn’t proceed in that way. After the declaration of UNESCO in 1997 as 798^th World Heritage, the maximum writers have disclosed the Sundarbans as 522^nd World Heritage. Even a General Knowledge handbook named “AJKER BISWA” composed and edited by Golam Mostofa Kiron shows the Sundarbans as 522^nd World Heritage. Besides, the local dailies of Khulna as well the national dailies declare the Sundarbans as 522^nd World Heritage. Moreover the local and National Dailies reveals different information which are reverse of one another. The Government of Bangladesh has provided the Primary Schools with a book financed by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Educational Fund) named “BANGLADESH ITIHASH – OITHISHO” edited by Niazur Rahman mentioned that the Sundarbans had been declared as World Heritage on 1999. He also mentioned in the book that there are Fifty Thousand (50,000) kinds of mammals, Three Hundred Twenty (320) types of birds, Fifty (50) kinds of reptiles and 8 other animals who can live either in land and water & Four Hundred (400) kinds of fishes in the Sundarbans.

Not only about the Sundarbans but also in every matter, writing whimsically has become our habit. Whimsical writing is giving misleading education to the society. A National Daily, on the 26^th January 1999, declares the Sundarbans as 522^nd World Heritage. In the same daily in 1995 the Sundarbans were declared as 798^th World Heritage. Thus as a result, a general reader and student get confused about the exact information. The Ministry of Forest and Ministry of Information are not concerned about the misleading information published by the different dailies. No press briefing or reactions against this have ever been noticed by the officers and employees of the forest division.

But according to the information of the Sundarbans Division is that is achieved autonomy in the year 1828. L. T. Hajesh did the first survey over the Sundarbans on 1829. On 1878 the entire Sundarbans area were declared as Reserved Forest. In the year 1879 the entire responsibility of the Sundarbans were handed over on Forest Division. The chief executive officer of the Sundarbans was M.U.Green. He took over the responsibility of the Sundarbans division on 1884. He divided the Sundarbans into 75 Compartments. In the year 1947, time of India division, 55 Compartments come inside Bangladesh political area. The total area of the Sundarbans is about 6,017 Square Kilometers. Among this 4,143 square kilometers land and 1,874 square kilometers is its water area. Various types of trees, plants and animals live in the Sundarbans. Royal Bengal Tigers live here. 375 types of wild animals, 210 kinds of fishes are found in the Sundarbans. In the Sundarbans 334 types of Tress, 165 types of corals and 13 kinds of orchid are found here. The main tree of the Sundarbans is the “SUNDRI” which is near about 73 percent of the total trees.

“GAOA” takes place after “SUNDORI” tree which is 16 percent of total trees and rest 11 percent is other various trees and beset with honey and wax. Diversified trees and animals are there. Among the wild animals Royal Bengal Tiger, wild swine, speckled deer, deer, python, tortoise, snakes, dolphin, wild cats, wild cocks and crocodiles of salty water is mentionable. Among the birds white eagle, panther herons, white herons, snipe, seagull, dove, kingfisher, woodpecker, Musk finkfut, Durango etc. Already 2 types of buffalo, 2 types of deer, 2 types of Rhinoceros and a type of crocodiles have been abolished from the forest. To save the bio-diversity, 3 Reserve Forest centers have been established.

In the reserve forest areas all types of activities and hunting is restricted. The total area of these 3 reserve forest is 1 Lac 39 Thousand 7 Hundred Hectares which is nearly 23 percent of the total Sundarbans. The Sundarbans contributed the lion’s portion of the revenue of Bangladesh Govt. But a group of selfish, unwise, greedy and corrupted forest officers and robbers are in the competition to destroy the forest. The Sundarbans have been turned as the playground of the Mafia gangs. As a result the balance of the forest is being hindered and animals like Tiger and deer are being abolished form the world.

Geographically Bangladesh is becoming imbalanced. Considering these, a new project was taken named Environment & Management along with forest division. Earlier 8 compartments of the 3 parts of the Sundarbans area of 1 Lac 39 Thousand 7 Hundred Hectares were declared as Reserve forest. But no specific actions were taken to save the forest resources. As a result a group of dishonest businessmen have been destroying the forest without any fear by the label of license. At the same time killing and hunting of wild animals in the reserve forest areas is open secret. Thus there is possibility that the Royal Bengal Tiger may be abolished. The Sundarbans are not only assets of Bangladesh but also of the world. It is a old and cultural asset of the world which keeps the geographical balance of the whole world. UNESCO has come forward to save such precious asset. UNESCO declared the Sundarbans as 798^th World Heritage. UNESCO is giving all kinds of economic support to save world’s culture the Sundarbans.

Among the Three (3) reserve forest areas, the east reserve forest belonging to 4,5 & 6 Compartment is established with Katka, Kachikahli and Supoti froest office. This reserve forest has an area of 31 Thousand 227 Hectares of forest area. Two rest houses named Katka and Kachikhali of the forest division along with a high observation tower for the tourists are here. Standing on the tower the charming beauty of the Sundarbans can be observed. An eye catching & long sandy beach can be found in Katka and Kachikhali. The main characteristic of the eastern reserve forest is that the SUNDORI and KEORA trees are longer than those of other areas. A large number of Deer, Royal Bengal Tigers and crocodiles live here. This reserved forest area is known as Tiger Point.

The second one is known as southern reserve forest. This compartment is built with 36 Thousand 970 Hectares of forest areas. The PUTINI island is situated near this reserve forest area which is the best and perfect place for Mangrove ecological study. There are tow stations are here named Nilkamal and Dobaki. Hiron Point is situated here. This area is famous for deer but Tigers, Crocodiles, Birds and other animals also be found. An observation tower is in the Nilkamal area from where the beauty of folks of deer can be observed.

The 3^rd one is known as Western Reserve forest which is connected with the Indian boarder. This compartment is built with 71 thousand 502 Hectares of forest areas. 3 Forest stations named Noabeki, Pusphakathi and Mandarbaria are situated here.

  This area is known as excessive salty area. That is why the growth of SUNDORI trees is less than other areas. But the GORAN trees grow in plenty here. Valuable POSUR and DHUNDHUL trees are also in plenty here. Royal Bengal Tigers are found in highest number here rather than other areas of the Sundarbans. Besides, there are long sandy sea beach in south Mandarbaria. Tourists have been given the chance to observe the beauty of the Reserve forest areas of the Sundarbans. Each year a large number of Tourist and Visitors, researchers, students-teachers, journalists come to explore the Sundarbans. The natural beauty, wild animals and sea beach attracts the visitor most.

Tourists and visitors come to visit Katka, Kachikhali, Nilkamal, Hiron Point, Dublarchar, Mandarbaria, Shekertek Temp and some other tourist spots. At present an ideal tourist spot has been made in Koromjol. Sidewalk made with wood, round house and observation tower are here to explore the beauty of the Sundarbans. Beside this, artificial deer and crocodile farm is situated here. As a result a large number of tourists and visitors crowd here.