SBBSS, JFMC and the mysteries of the Sundarbans

The world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarban, with its high and low tides is a playground for some of the most majestic animals like the Royal Bengal Tiger, crocodile, monitor lizard, various snakes including the King Cobra, river dolphins etc. As water recedes in this unique ecosystem, there is a balanced play in the predator and prey ratio as the Whimbrels and Herons eat upon the crabs and mudskippers. This play of water and its various creatures are closely intertwined with the people who live near them and equally play with the tidal waves to collect their livelihoods. The same ecosystem also guards them against all kinds of natural calamities. With each passing moment the mysteries of the Bans thicken with eerie silence and darkness broken only by the sound of the roar.

The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) has more than 30,000+ people living broadly in the four areas of Jharkhali, Kultali, Nalgora and Ramganga. Since their inhospitable surroundings including high chances of losing their lives to tigers, crocodiles and snakes provide very less opportunity for any decent livelihood, they regularly enter forest areas to collect firewood, timber, honey, fish, crabs, sand, mushroom or any other NTFP and sell for meager money against all odds. Several of them are also involved in illegal bush meat hunting. Whatever are their predicament, the sons of the soil are the ones who conserve the tiger and this whole ecosystem.

In recent times, West Bengal Forest Department’s Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) has formed the Sundarban Banaraksha Bahumukhi Samabay Samity (SBBSS), which overseas four village level co-operatives to create alternative livelihood opportunities. These SBBSS and JFMC provide platform to the existing population to secure loans and start small scale enterprises like homestays, honey culture, making handicrafts, bags, jewelry etc. With the help of the forest department they run these enterprises which weans them away from the dangers of forests and salty waters.

This website is part of that initiative to bring all the co-operatives under one umbrella and showcase the different alternative livelihood activities to help the local population with better and wider market opportunities.