On 20th May 2020 Wednesday, one of the fieriest cyclones the Bay of Bengal has produced in last few years post Aila. Amphan, ripped through Kolkata, Sunderbans and Bangladesh. Like it has for all of Bengals history, the storm first barreled in to the Sunderbans- a vast mangrove forest formed in the delta where Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river system meet and then empty out themselves in to the Bay of Bengal. It was not only the Sunderbans which got devastated but the metropolitan city of Kolkata was also in the line of the storm, the intensity was so high that Kolkata city felt within a century, and got devasted with almost all the trees in the city getting uprooted, power connections disrupted and also mobile network with more than 8000 mobile towers down.
The Sunderbans in Bengals first line of defence from fierce storms that periodically arse in the Bay of Bengal. But this time however, the people of this region had to pay heavy price for this. On discussion with the people living there told the change in the wind direction from North to South in the last moment saved the Sunderbans drastically. Amphan practically destroyed many islands out there and days after the Amphan still people of Sunderbans are recovering from the devastation. Livelihoods have been destroyed, houses torn down, power system dislocated and the biggest problem- the intensity of the storm has brought in salt water from the sea into the ponds and farmlands in the delta, rendering them useless for next many years.
Huge evacuation plan was taken up by the government so that human casualties is minimised and people were shifted to Storm Shelters built by government after the Ayla in the Sunderbans. The people with Kaccha houses are the ones which were devastated the most. These houses were ripped off to shreds making situation more than worse. But still people in Sunderbans tell that the Bulbul which hit the Sunderbans last year had uprooted big trees in the area, which saved more houses during the Amphan. With some major embankments at various places, giving up to the cyclone made things worse for the people who have lost everything and was shocked to their misfortune.
It was this time on the afternoon of 20th of May we were sitting in our 10th floor apartment in Newtown and feeling the initial impact of the Amphan, with rains and gusty winds which already started. We spoke with few of our acquaintances in Sunderbans and they all said one thing “The storm has already started and we don’t know what fate lies this time for them”. We were discussing that this cyclone will definitely rip apart the Sunderbans an its people and maybe we can pour in some money to arrange some relief materials for the effected people there, when we received a call from Mr. Kulan Devial, Joint Director Sunderban Biosphere if our organisation SAGE Foundation can help with some dry foods for the people in Sunderbans post Amphan as government and Forest department was preparing for the aftermath of the Amphan. We decided t help out and same afternoon in that torrential rain we went out to arrange some dry foods like mudi, chidey, gur and water. After the storm crossed the city we tried to connect with the acquaintances at Sunderbans but couldn’t contact as all connectivity was disrupted in the delta, atlast late night got information through Forest Department officers that no human casualties happened but devastation wass similar to Ayla or more at some places.
Post Amphan Kolkata and the two adjoining districts of North & South 24 Paraganas were devasted with no electricity in major parts, trees uprooted, roads blocked and no or poor mobile connectivity. Then on 22nd when the canning road opened after the uprooted trees were cleared we along with the Jt. Dir went to Jharkhali Jetty with the relief materials and from their on boat accompanied with officials reached to Deulbari 2, which was completely devasted by the cyclone. With the boat approaching with relief which was informed by dept people hundreds of people standing on the banks to have some relief, that scene which will remain in me for lifetime. That day we distributed 200 relief packets to the people there but it was less compared to the people effected there. Durng distribution I was speaking with one boy from the village and he said Madam the place where you are standing was a house, see the pillars still there. He said the people were really thankful to us that we from Kolkata brought in this dry food which they needed badly at that hour. While returning back we assured the Jt. Dir and DFO that on 24th May, 2 days later we shall bring in more food packets and also organize a medical camp which was much needed after the cyclone. Our efforts to reach the people of Sunderbans were appreciated by the Jt Dir himself as we were the first to reach the delta and the people there with help.
The scenario was devastating and painful. Houses washed away, ripped off and smashed in the ground, with the embankments giving away at many places and water gushing in upto a kilometre or more from the banks, fields filled with salty water, tubewells submerged and ponds filled with salty water making things worse.
On 24th May we organised a Medical camp at Deulbari 1 for the people wherein we not only did general checkup but also distributed medicines, ors and sanitary napkins, along with distribution of 350 dry food packets, biscuits and milk powder for infants. With this our wish to help the people of Sunderbans increased and help poured in from friends and relatives from all across making possible for us to extend our help. We not only increased our relief size of dry food packets but also added in tarpaulins, mosquito nets, bleaching powder, saree, milk powder to the effected people. In the next few days we distributed 500 dry food packets at Jatirampur, under Sajnekhali range in Sunderban Tiger Reserve and then in Rangabelia with dry rations for 500 families.
With relief from government and non-government organisations pouring in we shifted our focus to healthcare for the people of Sunderbans and conducted four medical camps in Tripligheri Bazar & Monasa More under Sajnekhali Range and Kalitola & Hemnagar under Basirhat Range and extended our help to almost 800 people with health check up, free medicines, ors, sanitary napkins and water purification tablets.
This experience post Amphan at the Sunderbans have made me realize that the people living there are real fighters with almost every year a cyclone hitting the delta, making them fight back. But, yes this year the Amphan which has devasted the delta has made them go back few years again reviving from what they lost in Ayla. At the end of the day when I am sitting to write down this makes me satisfied that as a human being we could respond and help the people effected in the Amphan and stand beside them may be in a very small way but atleast SAGE as a young organisation could reach out to the people of Sunderbans and help them during the need of the hour.