Sundarbans National Park

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Lore & Background

The Sundarbans National Park is located between 21° 432′ – 21° 55′ N latitude and 88° 42′ – 89° 04′ E longitude, composed of 54 small islands intersected by distributaries of the Ganges River. The first forest management division was established in 1869. In 1875 a large portion of the mangrove forests was declared as reserved forests under the Forest Act, 1865 (Act VIII of 1865). The park was declared the core area of Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973, a wildlife sanctuary in 1977, and a national park on 4 May 1984. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987, and it has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2019. It is considered as a World Network of Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Reserve) from 10 November 2001. The park is administered by the Directorate of Forest, with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife & Bio-Diversity & ex-officio Chief Wildlife Warden, West Bengal, as the senior most executive officer. The park area is divided into two ranges, each sub-divided into beats, with floating watch stations and camps to protect against poachers. Financial aid comes from the state government as well as the Ministry of Environment and Forests under various plan and non-plan budgets. Additional funding is received under the Project Tiger from the Central Government. In 2001, a grant of US$20,000 was received as preparatory assistance for promotion between India and Bangladesh from the World Heritage Fund.

Reader's Guide

Sundarbans National Park holds significance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1987) and a Ramsar site (since 2019), recognized for its dense mangrove forests and role as one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. The park is part of a biosphere reserve designated on 10 November 2001 under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Its eco-geography depends on tidal effects, with two flow tides and two ebb tides daily, a tidal range of 3–5 m (up to 8 m in normal spring tide), and a great natural depression called the Swatch of No Ground in the Bay of Bengal where the depth of water changes suddenly from 20 m to 500 m. The park hosts endangered species including the royal Bengal tiger, saltwater crocodile, river terrapin, olive ridley turtle, Ganges river dolphin, hawksbill turtle, and mangrove horseshoe crab. Management focuses on eco-conservation, eco-development, training, education and research, with ten Forest Protection Committees and 14 Eco-development Committees formed on the fringe of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. The core area is free from all human disturbances such as collection of wood, honey, fishing, and other forest products, while in the buffer area, these activities are permitted in limited form.

Did You Know?

• The park is composed of 54 small islands intersected by several distributaries of the Ganges River.
• The average altitude of the park is 7.5 m above sea level.
• In 1911, the Sundarbans was described as a tract of unexamined waste country and was excluded from the census.
• The first management plan for the Sundarbans was written for the period 1893–1898.
• A grant of US$20,000 was received as preparatory assistance for promotion between India and Bangladesh from the World Heritage Fund in 2001.