• Hirak Sarkar

The embankments in Southern Blocks of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal protect the ecological as well as cultural resources from the tidal inundation have been breached frequently caused by physical, climatic, biotic and several other factors. Such breaching of the embankments severely damaged the bases of subsistence of human life and the species-rich unique estuarine ecosystem of the Sundarbans. The human settlement in the Bengal delta has been only possible due to the reclamation of the premature land by embankment construction and deforestation. But the cultural landscape of the region has been threatened by the breaching of those man-made impediments due to tidal ingression and other hydro-meteorological hazards like cyclones and storm surges. The human settlements and the economic bases of subsistence such as cultivable land, fisheries and sources of drinking water have been severely affected due to the ingression of saline water during breaching which leads to loss of human life and property; displacement of poor rural folks from their native places, destined to move elsewhere in destitute condition without any economic wealth and security. The natural and cultural ecosystem of the Southern Blocks of the District namely Sagar, Kultali, Basanti, Patharpratima, Gosaba and Namkhana have experienced the devastating impact of embankment breaching. The study, therefore, aims at coming across the solutions of the problems of embankment breaching in the area and formulation of better planning and mitigation strategies so that the ecology as well as the economy of the concerned area have become protected from the tidal erosion and inundation.

Sundarbans, Bengal Delta, Eco-Sensitive, Estuarine Ecosystem, Embankment Breaching, Vulnerability

"Significance Of Embankments Breaching In Southern Blocks Of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 8, page no.683-696, August-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1808403.pdf

"Significance Of Embankments Breaching In Southern Blocks Of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 8, page no. pp683-696, August-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1808403.pdf