The Sunderbans in Crisis

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a huge public health crisis throughout the globe. While imminent health concerns have naturally taken priority, the impact of certain other consequences of the pandemic is yet to be fully appreciated. One of these other consequences includes the unplanned migration of a mostly unorganised labour population in the developing world. To understand the consequences of such a migration on the lives of labourers and wildlife, let us look at the present situation in the Sundarbans in India.

The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, India (9,630 sq km) is situated within the world’s largest delta and is the only abode of mangrove tigers. About 4.6 million people live in the Sunderbans and their lives are intricately intertwined with the forests around them. Accordingly, being the largest contiguous mangrove patch in the world, the area has been heavily regulated by the Government of India for its conservation.