According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Sundarbans will soon become a separate district in West Bengal, allowing residents of the area to access government services more quickly and easily. It will become West Bengal’s 24th district after being created from sections of the current South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts.
The Sundarbans region currently consists of 19 blocks and 16 police stations dispersed over these two districts. 19 blocks total, 13 of which are in South 24 Parganas and the rest in North 24 Parganas.
The Chief Minister stated during a meeting on Tuesday at Samserganj in the North 24 Parganas district that the Department of Sundarban Affairs has also developed a master plan for the development of the area in addition to establishing a new district.
The master plan would be sent to the Union government for assistance in putting it into practice, according to Banerjee. “Bank erosion has historically harmed the Sundarbans. To stop this erosion, the state government is starting several projects. For the project to be implemented effectively, central help is required,” said the chief minister.
Banerjee commented on the creation of Sundarbans as a new district by stating that, at present, residents of the area must travel great distances to reach administrative offices to get government support.
However, CM added, “because the new district will have its administrative infrastructure, that difficulty will be much eased after it is formed.” Banerjee claims that the state administration has big goals to grow the local tourism industry.
“The construction of homestay facilities in the Sundarbans, which has a natural tourism value, is something we are stressing in particular. The state government would support the development of these homestay facilities financially and with encouragement. This will not only help the region’s tourism industry grow, but it will also give the local population the opportunity to earn money,” added the chief minister.
The Sundarbans’ ecosystem and wildlife population are impacted by cyclones and floods, which is why the state administration has also presented a master plan to the Niti Aayog. Studies show that since 1967, the Sunderbans’ overall land area has decreased by 210 square kilometres. Since 1904, it has declined by 451 square kilometres.
In the past 40 years, the region has lost 12% of its shoreline, and in some places, the coastline is inching inward by as much as 40 cm every year. According to scientists, several of these islands will fully vanish within the next 50 to 100 years, and some have already vanished.
