Risk Governance Measures and Actions in Sundarbans Delta (India): A Holistic Analysis of Post-disaster Situations of Cyclone Aila

Abstract

The Sundarbans delta is a unique type of land marshes and tidal forests called 'mangroves', which have special characteristic to adapt themselves to the highly saline soil, strong winds and inundation of sea water twice a day during tides. The Sundarbans was declared as a 'world heritage site' in 1994 and as a 'biosphere reserve' in 1989. By virtue of its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the land is very much prone to the wrath of bay cyclones and tidal disturbances during the monsoon. Apart from its vulnerable geo-climatic locations, the major part of the Sundarbans area is facing the problem of waterlogging because of its basinlike island geography. In 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated the deltaic area of Sundarbans and impacted more than 3500 km of very old earthen embankments that are essential for the very survival of the islands. The natural levees were weakened by lashing sea waves during cyclones, often giving in to the tidal bores resulting in disastrous floods. The impact of Cyclone Aila has led to heavy rainfall and damages in 16 districts in West Bengal. The worst affected districts are South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Medinipur, West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata. The population affected in the state was more than five million. The damage impact assessment conducted by the Government of West Bengal and UNDP put the death toll at 96. Over 500,000 houses are damaged either fully or partially, and a similar amount of cropped area is affected. Over 60,000 people rescued have been accommodated in government relief camps. However, some areas in the Sundarbans river islands remain marooned and hard to reach. This study will review the risk governance in post-Aila situations pertaining to the structural and nonstructural measures initiated in the region. This study will also analyse the mitigation and adaptation scenarios in line with the federal and state government disaster risk management frameworks and risk reduction plans. This study assesses the effectiveness of disaster management policy framework and existing institutional mechanisms in West Bengal, India, to cover natural disasters, particularly cyclonic disasters. This study is a preliminary attempt to identify existing gaps in the disaster management system and suggests upgradation to minimize effects of the impact in the future, which may lead to sustainable development in these cyclone-prone areas.