Many tourists in Bangladesh are said to be unaware of the restrictive measures in force these days for tourists willing to visit the Sundarbans. Accustomed to the age-old unhindered entry into the world's largest mangrove forest, a large segment of both the new-generation and elderly tourists have the least idea about the rules imposed time to time to control rampant visits to the site. However, these restrictions remained conspicuous mostly by their noncompliance. The situation in the Sundarbans has lately undergone a radical change, with the imposition of stringent rules on the entry to the forest and movements there.
At one phase, the restriction began with a ban on hunting the Royal Bengal Tigers and many other endangered animals. Thanks to the ban on tiger-hunting, the mangrove forest has started witnessing a slow increase in the number of its tiger population. The latest round of restrictions on visits to the forest came into force with intervention of the Forest Department. Not long ago, the forest authorities imposed a three-month-long ban on intending tourists from June 1 to August 31. The three months are normally critical to most of the forest animals' breeding. The three-month entry ban is aimed at reducing the presence of the visitors, fishermen, woods and honey collectors in the otherwise animal-friendly mangrove forest. Except the said three months, the government now allows a limited number of large and small motor launches, trawlers etc to move about specific routes in the forest. With the restrictions in force, the number of tourists visiting in a group is being kept on record. On last August 1, seventy-five people were allowed to enter the rivers meandering through the forest on a ship-size motor launch. Another big vessel carrying a large group of artistes followed suit. More launches with 250 nature-loving tourists had been all set to enter the forest soon, officials at the Sundarbans station of the Forest Department said.
In the immediate past, two to three-storey launches were allowed overnight or days-long stays inside the forest. It has yet to be known about the length of stay in the forest under the new series of restrictions. But passes are said to be required for both the vessels and tourists. Earlier, those were compulsory for fishing boats. Of late, 'bawalis' (loggers) and 'mawalis' (honey collectors) are required to produce passes, issued by the Forest Department, for their entry to the forest. Now that the east and southwest regions' connectivity is set to be more enhanced after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, the forest authorities need to brace for a big wave of Sundarban tourists.
The veritably new phase of Sundarbans tour carries bright prospects. In reaping benefits from this much-awaited goal, some imperatives have to be kept in mind by the authorities concerned. Foremost of them is remaining watchful of the elements out to do harm to the forest. Apart from killing wild animals, tigers and deer in particular, especially for the skins and also the former's bones, they also go for illegal logging.
The encroachment of the nearby villages on the reserved forest continues unabated. It has led to a nearly unstoppable expansion of rural habitats and crop fields to the forest lands. Regular monitoring and patrol by forest guards could have put the destructive practice in check. But there are few signs of any concern on the part of the authorities. All this has resulted in the thinning out of the once dense forest and bushes in areas bordering the Sundarbans.
The total area of the Bangladesh-India forest in the region's southern part was around 40,000 sq km two centuries ago. As the decades wore on, the total size of the mangrove forest continued shrinking. In the period spanning 200 years, the mega forest has reduced to 16,700 sq km, one-third of its original size. The share of Bangladesh during the partition stood at 2/3 of the forest, its larger segment. The rest became part of the Indian state of West Bengal.
Ironical developments have kept occurring in the two-territory Sundarbans since partition. Despite its jurisdiction over the larger part of the forest, Bangladesh had been failing miserably in the upkeep of the mangrove forest. Of late, the plight of its trees and botanical resources, the rivers and canals flowing through it, and most significantly, the slow disappearance of its wildlife, has been giving rise to deep concerns among the environmentalists. Looking the other way as loggers fell trees indiscriminately has been singled out as one of the major reasons for the forest's premature dying-out in large tracts. At the same time, tourist movement throughout the year, especially in winter, once added to the deteriorating process of the Sundarbans. Apart from tourists of all ages packing the vessels, the launches with rookie operators at the steering at times strayed into eco-sensitive places. Thus damage done to the forest continued without respite. Compared to the West Bengal part of the forest, the Sudarbans inside Bangladesh until recently remained plagued with scores of irregularities.
Besides the broader environmental impacts, smaller scourges once ranged from robbers' attack on fishing boats, clandestine tree felling to the forest losing its panoramic view. The forest was once viewed as a rampart against the cyclones slamming Bangladesh. This all-important role of the Sundarbans has been consigned to oblivion. These days, the forest on the Bangladesh side gives a depressing look.
Although prohibited now, the free movement of cargo ships and trawlers has wrought havoc to the waters of the major rivers flowing through the forest. Bangladesh just cannot look on passively as this invaluable gift of nature --- the Sundarbans, continues to fade out for negligence it has been meted out to. It's high time the nation acted.
shihabskr@ymail.com