Ramesh: Keen on ‘joint’ projects

Dobanki (Sunderbans), Jan. 12: The World Bank will provide Rs 200 crore over the next five years for the preservation of coastal Bengal, including the Sunderbans, Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said today.

“I had a discussion with the World Bank president in Copenhagen last month and he confirmed that Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the preservation of Bengal’s coastline, including the Sunderbans. The project will be launched in June,” said Ramesh, who visited the Sunderbans during the day.

He also said the Centre would soon launch a joint effort with Bangladesh to protect the Sunderbans. “It is extremely difficult to carry out work to save the Indian part of the Sunderbans in isolation. After all, 60 per cent of the Sunderbans is in Bangladesh. So, we need to work together and protect it,” Ramesh said.

Bangladesh and India share the 26,000sqkm mangrove kingdom, which is vulnerable to climate change.

The Centre has taken the initiative to set up an India-Bangladesh joint Sunderbans “ecosystem forum”, the minister said. “It is expected to take up joint projects, including census of tigers.” Bangladesh had apparently shown interest in such an exercise for a long time but India had not responded the way it was doing now.

Ramesh also announced a task force at the national level to assess the climate vulnerability of the Indian Sunderbans. “Before the Copenhagen meet, I got a letter from Bengal’s environment minister Sailen Sarkar highlighting his concern about Sunderbans’ vulnerability to climate change. I share his concern and hence have decided to form this task force with scientists and experts,” he added.

Ramesh also announced a Rs 2-crore grant in 2010-11 for rain water harvesting in the Sunderbans as that, according to him, will help raise a second crop and reduce the people’s dependence on the forest.

The Union minister was also present during the release of a tigress in to the forest at Chora Maya island. The forest department had trapped the tigress on Saturday.