In the year 1975, Ghoramara Island in the Sunderbans archipelago in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district covered an area of 8.51 sq km. Today it is less than 4.43 sq km.
The fact that in 40 years the island has lost half of its landmass to the rising sea (Bay of Bengal) level is “an ominous sign” for things to come in the ecologically fragile region, researchers feel. A recent study by researchers at Jadavpur University, which reveals the startling figures, has been published in the book International Perspective of Climate Change: Latin America and Beyond by a Germany-based publisher, Springer.
The research work also points out migration of people from the inhabited island. The scientists of the School of Oceanographic Studies of the University pointed out that despite 2.1 percent annual growth rate in the administrative area of the Island the population of Ghoramara is decreasing.
“The population of Ghoramara has decreased from 5,236 in the 2001 census to 5,193 in 2011, which may be attributed to migration, in spite of existing growth rate within the same administrative area,” the study says.
Research led by Tuhin Ghosh has pointed out that though actual record of migration is not available, “a majority of residents of Ghoramara (almost three-fourth) say that about 4,000 people from the island have migrated out.”
It is learnt that at least five villages of the Island such as Khasimara, Khasimara char, Lakshmi Narayanpur, Bagpara and Baishnabpara are under water. Factors like severe erosion, embankment failure, cyclone and storm surge are leading to habitat loss, resulting in migration of people from the Island.
“Environmental degradation leads to loss of livelihood. Climate change further accentuates economic insecurity. As a result migration is taken as an adaptive measure as the islanders don’t have any alternate skills,” Rituparna Hajra, a researcher, told The Hindu , adding that there is an urgent need for proper policy formulation to address this issue.
