Dutch experts aid Sundarbans embankments; WB seeks global funds

The State Department of Irrigation and Waterways, with the help of Dutch experts, is preparing a comprehensive plan to strengthen the dykes around those islands in the Sundarbans where there are human settlements.

The Dutch team visited the Sundarbans for the project, most recently in February. While waterfront development is central to the program, improving residents' livelihoods is also part of it. The state will apply for financing from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for the project.

A senior government official said the embankment would be strengthened to prevent saltwater from entering the islands to avoid contaminating farmland and water bodies. While the levee in the upper delta - which is connected to the mainland - is more stable, the levees in the lower delta are fragile and often break, leading to inundation of agricultural fields and freshwater ponds with seawater.

The embankment upgrade project includes the establishment of low earthen embankments in the intertidal zone and stronger masonry cobbled embankments on the high tide line. The Netherlands has considerable expertise in dykes, as half of the country lies below sea level. Visiting Dutch experts provided technical assistance to the Irrigation Department on the outlines of the master plan.

"The construction of embankments is essential to protect the islands from erosion and natural disasters. Due to the proximity of the Bay of Bengal, there is a 26% increase in high to very high intensity cyclonic storms and almost 250 square kilometers in the Sundarbans have already been lost in 45 years (from 1970 to 2015) due to tidal erosion,” a government official said.

In addition to the development of the waterfront infrastructure, the proposal envisages the digging of streams to collect rainwater. So far, the irrigation department has re-dug about 500 km for fresh water storage. The plan is to re-excavate about 705 km over five years – 359 km in South 24 Parganas and 346 km in North 24 Parganas Sundarbans.