Intentional breaches and natural wear and tear of nylon nets bordering the Sunderbans forests have dented the defence against its apex predator — tigers.
The gaps in the nets are enabling the big cats to sneak out of the forests and reach human habitats on the other side of the rivers and creeks, suspect forest officials and wildlife experts.
A surge in the tiger population also may have contributed to the rise in straying incidents. This month, there have been several incidents of straying tigers.
At least three of them have been in Kultali block, where the sight of pugmarks has caused panic, prompting the forest department to cordon the area off and launch search operations. In one case, a tiger was caged and released back into the wild.
The forests near Kultali are part of the Raidighi range of the South 24-Parganas forest division.
“The total length of the nets in the South 24-Parganas forest division is 74km. The nets were set up in phases. The last time it was done was around 2020-21,” said a forest official who did not want to be named.
“The lifespan of nylon nets is around five years, even with rigorous upkeep. The tidal ebb and flow of the saline water and repeated human interference in the form of fishing in the creeks put the usual longevity under stress in the mangrove delta. Not to mention two cyclones every year,” the official said.
In September 2023, around 12km of nylon net was replaced by reinforced steel nets.
Steel nets, though more expensive, are much stronger and durable than nylon. The department wanted to replace the nylon with steel in more areas but the high cost has stalled the project, sources in the department said.
Even replacing old nylon with new is proving to be a challenge.
Sources said a proposal for an exhaustive “repair-and-replacement project” has also been in limbo for a long time. This would involve replacing old nylon nets with new ones and repairing them when the damage is relatively lower. The project cost is around
₹50 lakh.
Pradeep Vyas, former chief conservator of forests in Bengal who has served in the Sunderbans for years, told Metro: “Damaged nets can be a major cause of tigers sneaking out. The tiger does not always want to come to the village side. Often, they come towards the embankment and spot prey. Lack of proper maintenance and human breaches are the main damaging factors. But the nets are more of a psychological barrier. If a tiger wants, it can find a way to sneak out.
This newspaper has reported multiple times how the lack of a steady income has led some people living on the fringe villages to venture deep into the forests on unlicensed boats in search of fish and crab. In many cases, they have to breach nylon nets to make their way into a creek or a river.
There are around 2,600 valid boat licensing certificates (BLC) issued by the South 24-Parganas forest division. But the actual number of people who take boats inside the forest creeks is much higher, said officials.
“Maintenance of the nets is a continuous process. We do it throughout the year. The damage is also continuous, caused by natural and anthropogenic factors,” said Nisha Goswami, the divisional forest officer of South 24-Parganas forest division.
“The tiger population is also healthy. There have been incidents of straying but we have been able to prevent any casualty and mitigate the conflict,” she said.
Jump in numbers
The last census had pegged the number of tigers in the Sunderbans at 101. The number was 88 in 2018.
Of the total count, around 28 are in the South 24 Parganas division and the remaining in Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR). “The Raidighi range alone has 17 tigers out of 28,” said a forest official.
More tigers increase the chances of a territorial fight between two animals. The vanquished animal is driven out and often reaches the threshold of a village, the
official said.
To make up for the loss caused by Cyclone Amphan, the government launched a massive mangrove plantation drive. Over 15 crore saplings have been planted in the South 24-Parganas division, mostly along the riverbanks, said officials.
Tigers that have strayed in the recent past have often sought shelter in the dense mangrove cover, they said.
Debal Ray, the head of the forest force in Bengal, said: “I will have to check the status of the nylon nets before commenting. But the villagers have been dumping cattle carcasses along the riverbanks. That often attracts tigers.”