French CG prioritised disaster management & tourism while visiting the Sundarban

The climate-battered Sundarban, on ground, was not exactly music to Didier Talpain, French consul general in Kolkata, who also happens to be an acclaimed musician.

Talpain has recently visited Sagar and adjoining Ghoramara islands in Sundarbanto assess the climatic vulnerability of the region and consider activities that France government or its private sector may support for the region.

While the entire Sundarban remains the hotbed of climate change; Sagar, Ghoramara and adjoining western Sundarban stand out due their high vulnerability to climate change triggered disasters being literally located at the lap of Bay of Bengal. The area has faced at least four major cyclones in the last two and half years, often associated with flood as in case of Yaas; apart from continuous erosion catered by sea level rise which is the highest in the country.

While several parts of Sagar, the biggest island in Sundarban with a population around 2 lakhs, have faced acute erosion with it’s quite common to find families who have shifted multiple times being forced out by rising water; Ghoramara, once important enough to have the second biggest post office in state after Kolkata, has lost nearly two-third of its land in last few decades.

“This was my wish to come here, since I took charge in Kolkata. Climate change and environment is a priority on the agenda of the French government – let’s remind of the importance COP21conference held in Paris during November – December 2015 had on the raised levels of public awareness globally” said Talpain to this correspondent.

“I decided to visit Sundarbanas it’s a globally known hotbed for climate change impacts, and to understand what kind of programmes we might support in the region” added the French official.

During the two-day official trip, the French Consul General visited disaster prone areas of Sagar including the cyclone Yaas triggered sea side devastation in front of Kapil Muni Ashram, highly affected Dhablat- Sibpur area and interacted with local people.

Consul general also visited two local schools – DhablatLakkhanParbesh High School and PrasadpurAtalVidyabhaban – located quite close to the sea, and interacted with their teachers and students to assess whether these schools can be turned into strengthened temporary disaster shelters.

While schools are used as temporary shelters during cyclones, floods and likewise throughout Sundarbanthey hardly have the infrastructure to cater adequately to the needs of local people, particularly the elderly; sick; pregnant women or women with newborns, during disasters.

“Consul General is trying to see if these schools may be upgraded to operate as strengthened temporary disaster shelters,” says an expert who accompanied the French official on the two-day trip.

“I told him that the disasters have been continuously increasing in our area” said Malabika Ghosh, a class XII student of LakkhanParbesh. BasantiSingha, a student of class XI who lives in a highly disaster-prone area, pointed out to Talpain the extreme ordeal they have to go through every time a disaster strikes and they have to take shelter in the jam-packed school.

“My school, which is quite close to Bay of Bengal, has to house more than 3 thousand people from the neighbourhood during disasters; and any upgradation of infrastructure is extremely welcome”, said SantanuGayen, head master, to Consul General.

“I visited some of the schools as well as disaster prone areas. Some of the locals told how quickly areas were engulfed by rapidly advancing sea and rivers; few actually pointed out that their original houses used to be around 1 km within the present sea” said consul general .

After a first-hand recce of the area, the French official sat with officials from Sagar block to know in detail about the climatic threat in the area.

“He was keen to know about the climatic problems in the area and how we counter them,” said local block development officer SudiptaMandal, who has played a key role in countering multiple disasters in recent years.

“Consul general and his team has also discussed the possibility of involving French private business in promoting the local tourism; and was also keen to know how climatic impacts influence the likes of migration to livelihood loss” pointed out Sombhudwip Sarkar, executive officer of GangasagarBakkhali Development Authority.

On day 2, Talpain visited Ghoramara, a half an hour boat ride from Sagar and ground zero of climate change, and took stock of the situation including visiting a local school; as well as mingled with local people.

“We took him around to see the most impacted areas like Khasimara and Raypara. The Consul General was very informal, had lunch with us and asked questions to understand the ground level situation” stated SanjibSagar, Pradhan of local panchayat. Sagar even shared that Talpain took a photograph of the toto driver Maina , who moved him around, and later sent the photo to him.

“Climate change linked impacts are on the rise. In that context, the French consul general trip was very important and we hope to build on it” said BankimHazra, the minister of Sundarban Affairs and also the local MLA of Sagar.

“Though we have built many large cyclone shelters across Sundarbanstill the schools play an important role as temporary disaster shelters; and hence any initiative to upgrade their disaster management infrastructure is extremely welcome,” pointed out Javed Ahmed Khan, minister of disaster management and civil defence in West Bengal.