Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans National Park is a special protected area in West Bengal, India. It is part of a big natural region called the Sundarbans, which also stretches into nearby Bangladesh. This park is very important because it helps protect many animals, including the Bengal tiger, and many kinds of birds and reptiles.

The park sits on the Ganges Delta, a rich area covered with special trees called mangrove forests. These forests grow in water and salt soil, making the Sundarbans a unique place. You can even find salt-water crocodile here, which are very rare.

Sundarbans National Park became a protected wildlife area in 1977 and was named a national park in 1984. In 1987, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning it is one of the most important natural places in the world. It is also a special area for protecting water birds and wetlands, known as a Ramsar site.

Administration

Map of the protected areas of the Indian Sunderban, showing the boundaries of the tiger reserve, the national park and the three wildlife sanctuaries, conservation and lodging centres, subsistence towns, and access points. The entire forested (dark green) area constitutes the biosphere reserve, with the remaining forests outside the national park and wildlife sanctuaries being given the status of a primary reserve forest.

The Directorate of Forest manages Sundarbans National Park. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests is the main officer in charge, with a Chief Conservator of Forests leading the park locally. They have helpers and divide the park into two areas. Each area is looked after by a range forest officer. These areas are then split into smaller parts.

The park gets money from the state government and the Ministry of Environment and Forests. It also receives support from the Project Tiger program. In 2001, it got a grant to help with projects between India and Bangladesh.

Geography

The Sundarbans National Park is in West Bengal, India. It is located between 21° 432′ – 21° 55′ N latitude and between 88° 42′ – 89° 04′ E longitude. The park is about 7.5 meters above sea level and has 54 small islands. Several branches of the Ganges River flow through the area.

Sundarban Mudflats during low tide

The park has hot summers with temperatures up to 48 °C and cool winters around 20 °C. It gets a lot of rain, especially during the monsoon from mid-June to mid-September. Strong winds and storms are common between May and October. The park's landscape changes often because of tides, which bring in silt and create new islands and channels.

The Sundarbans has many plants and animals, including special mangrove trees called Sundari. Endangered animals such as the royal Bengal tiger, saltwater crocodile, and olive ridley turtle live here. The nearby waters also have many rare whales and dolphins.

Management and special projects

Patrolling boat in Sundarbans

The Bengal tiger lives in Sundarbans National Park. Park workers use boats to protect the park from people who might take things from it illegally. They have offices and camps in different parts of the park to help with this work.

The park works to keep animals safe by planting trees, teaching people about nature, and digging ponds for animals to drink. They also help nearby villages find ways to make money without taking things from the park. This helps keep people and tigers safe. The park has a special place called the Mangrove Interpretation Centre at Sajnekhali to teach visitors about protecting nature.

Park-specific information

The only way to travel through Sundarbans National Park is by boat along its many rivers. Visitors can use local boats or special tour boats like M.V. Chitrarekha and M.V. Sarbajaya. There are also places to stay on land and many tour groups that offer trips from Kolkata all year long.

Besides boat trips to see wildlife, visitors can explore watch towers like Sudhanyakali and Dobanki, bird sanctuaries such as Sajnekhali, and places like the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project. Popular spots also include Sagar Island, Jambudweep, Haliday Island, and Kanak.

Sunderban Tiger Reserve

The Sunderban Tiger Reserve is in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It covers an area of 2585 km². Forests fill most of this space. This reserve has many animals, including tigers, saltwater crocodiles, turtles, birds, fishing cats, spotted deer, rhesus monkeys, and wild pigs. The area has mangroves and many narrow tidal channels that make small islands. Tigers can move easily between these islands.

Cyclones have caused damage to the reserve in the past. In 2009, Cyclone Aila damaged field camps and villages near the reserve. In 2020, Cyclone Amphan damaged fences and buildings but did not harm the tigers. The reserve keeps working to protect its animals and help local communities.

Sundarban Transport

Sundarban National Park is 140 kilometres from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, which has flights all over the world.

You can also reach the park by train. The closest station is Canning railway station, about 29 kilometres away. By road, you can drive from Kolkata using State Highway 3 in West Bengal.

Ecosystem valuation

In 2015, a study showed that Sundarbans National Park helps people and nature in many useful ways every year. The park’s land is very valuable, worth about ₹12.8 billion each year.

The park helps in many ways, like protecting fish and plants, supporting local jobs, keeping storms away, giving animals a home, and cleaning the air by storing carbon. These make the park special and important for everyone.

Main article: ecosystem services
Further information: sequestration of carbon