Author: Rajib Chatterjee
Publication: The Statesman
Date: September 4, 2007
The state government failure to stop infiltration
through the riverine borders has resulted in a rise in population in the Sundarbans
where it is almost double the state's population growth rate. Forest resources
and animals living in the state's delta region are therefore being threatened.
This is because people resort to deforestation to build their houses.
Reports revealed that population of Sundarbans
is growing over two per cent in a year while the population growth rate in
the state is 1.2 per cent.
Administrative officials, instead of taking
steps to stop infiltration and initiate a birth control drive, have blamed
"lack of awareness" among the people for the high population growth
rate. Reports says that if current population growth rate prevails, Sundarbans
will have a total 44 lakh people by 2012.
The high population growth rate has also posed
a threat to forest resources and animals living in the region. Smuggling of
forest resources is also continuing unhindered in most blocks in the delta
region since more and more unemployed youths join the illegal trade in forest
products. The state forest department officials have already sounded an alert
saying that high rate of population growth caused rampant deforestation and
a huge loss of forest resources.
Although infiltration and failure of the state
government to make people aware of birth control have been identified as two
major reasons for population explosion, yet no initiatives have been taken
to bring the population growth rate under control.
Ms Sanghamitra Ghosh, district magistrate,
South 24-Parganas however said that the district administration has taken
a number of initiatives to control the birth rate in Sundarbans. "Women's
empowerment has been given more importance in order to make them financially
independent. Once women become aware the population growth level will automatically
decrease," said Ms Ghosh. The officials however admitted that a "weak
health infrastructure" in various places in Sundarbans posed a threat
on the administration to launch awareness drive on birth control.
When asked if the administration was going
to take steps to stop infiltration, Ms Ghosh said: "I don't have any
reports that illegal migration takes place in Sundarbans. It is the job of
the police and other security agencies to check infiltration, if any."
