Villagers turn to forest after Aila

MATHURAKHAND: There are two sets of people in the Sunderbans now, four weeks after Cyclone Aila struck those who have decided to leave the estuarine region for good and those who have no choice but to remain.
For the emigrants, the customary challenges of a difficult journey await. But for those who must continue in the delta, mere survival will be a formidable task.With farmland and fisheries inundated by all-corrupting sea water, the material scarcity that is steadily stalking inhabitants here is already forcing many to venture into the protected forests of the Sunderbans.
At Mathurakhand, just across the river from Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary, the necessity of eking out a living is ensuring excursions into the only permanent, if unlawful, source of food and money the buffer forests of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve.
"We are farmers, but sea water has entered our land. We won't be able to grow anything for a while. If we have no money and nothing to eat, how will we survive without going to the forest? From the fish and crabs that we catch, we keep some and sell the rest. We have no choice," said Sukanya Mondol (name changed). Incidentally, she had gone fishing to the protected forests on the very day she spoke to TOI.
Although the villagers themselves admitted that intrusions into the tiger reserve was not uncommon in the past, the trying circumstances in the wake of the cyclone has increased the frequency of visits in search of sustenance and income.
"Few were willing to go into the forests earlier because of the tigers and forest guards, but the present situation is forcing many more to go. I have had to enter the forests about seven to eight times since the cyclone struck and I'll have to go there more often. Once the aid stops, I might have to go there more than 10 times a month if my family has to survive," Menoka Kar (name changed) said.
Locals are well aware of the rules they are violating. But following the law of the land is too expensive, especially when money is rare, they say.
"It doesn't make sense for poor people like us to buy a pass to enter the forests for seven to eight months a year for Rs 8,000. Instead, we hide in the forests when we see patrol boats. Sometimes we are forced to wait in the forests for hours because if we are caught not only is the catch taken but our boats are also confiscated," Mondol revealed.
On their part, though, forest officials asserted that precautions had been taken and their surveillance on possible weak spots renewed.
"Apart from our usual routine, stand-by check posts and special patrolling have been introduced in areas where villages border the forests. We are focusing on the buffer zone and entry is not being allowed without valid permits. We are aware that if incursions start, it will be difficult to contain the situation," a ranger at Vidya forest office said.