Coastal erosion is not only taking a toll on India’s shoreline but also on the communities that made their homes by the sea. Resettlement may provide safety from the waves, but replacing lost livelihoods becomes an uphill task, as some climate refugees in Odisha are finding out
Krushna Chandra Behera has no illusions about life after relocation. As the sea moved into his village in Odisha, residents were moved out to resettlement colonies. But safety came at a price, says the man in his eighties.
“Though some people have fertile land there, who will travel 12km daily to carry on farming after crossing the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest and a crocodile-infested river?” he asks.
“Though some people have fertile land there, who will travel 12km daily to carry on farming after crossing the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest and a crocodile-infested river?” he asks.