Climate Witness stories

Climate Witness: Natabar Manna, Sunderbans

Mr. Natabar Manna (81) a veteran freedom fighter who left India and went to Noakhali district of earstwhile East Bengal or present Bangladesh. He was a close associate of Mahtma Gandhi during 1942 movement when he was a young school student. We had an exclusive interview from this octogenarian in his residence at Bagdanga, Mousuni Island where he settled after independence.

“ No one gives value to experience, present defective methods of embankment can’t save these islands” he strongly pointed out.

“ As a panchayat member I offered better solutions , but the authorities are reluctant to follow the scientific methods. I don’t find six seasons now as we used to observe earlier”
Only extreme cold and extreme heat occupy the major part of a calendar year besides an intermediate phase of rainy season”.

“ I have seen the plundering of forests by the Britishers.. how could you get back those beautiful lands. Now the Population is 4 times than 50-60 years back. I have seen how forests were cleared in this place since 1926-27.

“ My house is merely 150 ft away from the embankment or river bank. Erosion could be averted- had the authorities taken necessary mitigating measures.”

“Soil has lost the fertility. The same area of land produced 400-480 kg of paddy earlier is now yielding merely 240-250 kg. There is urgent need for water harvesting. Canal excavation started during 1972 and this initiative was further taken up by NABARD in 1982. But now many of the canals have totally dried up.
“After 10 years you will find lands totally useless for cultivation”

“Communication is extremely poor with these island. In some places water boats are the only means of travel and this island is not developed like Sagar.
Health care infrastructure is almost absent. Common diseases are dysentery, diarrohea, and snakebite- all of which take away several lives each year due to ignorance of local people and lack of proper health care.”

His emphasis was on
1. Better techniques to be adapted for agriculture.
2. Freshwater harvesting by means of ponds and canals.
3. Better coordination between farmers and agricultural experts.

“It has been observed over the last 35-40 years that practice of agriculture if properly managed could be the best livelihood option for the local communities.
Presently, employment generation for local youths is extremely important considering the outflow of people from these islands.”