In the last 5 years 24 families were affected and lost members due to the man-animal conflict, within the last 7 days also one family lost one member. IHA Foundation under the able guidance of its Chairman Satnam Singh Ahluwalia has been looking after Amlamethi Village and Balideep under Gosaba Block for the last few years, after the catastrophe caused by Cyclone Amphan the efforts of IHA Foundation doubled in rebuilding the homes and providing immediate shelter places to the families of the affected. Weekly Ration was provided to the families whose homes were demolished by Cyclone Amphan so as to enable them to sustain their families during this double blow of pandemic and Cyclone Amphan.

Both the areas Gosaba & Basanti Block; are close to Sundarban Reserve Forest of 24Pgs (S), where Human – Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is highly predominating. The decadal reports published by various Government Authorities of both state as well as national level and even international agencies have also confirmed the fact that, the Geographical remoteness of these villages, limited economic resources; have turned the village livelihood largely dependent on the adjoining forest area. Wood, Honey, Crabs, Fish etc are the most common natural resources within the forest that has always remained a point of primary attraction for people of that region. Their struggle against poverty is so shattering that they do not even bother to risk their lives by invading the deep forest to collect those resources for their existence. Many innocent lives have wasted in deep forest due to animal attacks ‘sometimes its crocodile’ – ‘sometimes it’s a tiger’. There is a very common Bengali phrase that truly describes the life of people residing at Sundarban area “Jal-e Kumir – Dangay Bagh”, that means there are crocodiles in water bodies and Tigers in land area.

Amidst this struggle between human and wildlife there are people who suffered due to the same reason but in a different way. The “left home family members” who depends on the earnings of the person mainly the male members of the family or even the widows; are often have to face the dual agony of life. On one side, they lose their family member the beloved one and on other side they lose their earning member of the family which deadly affects those families by thrashing them in extreme poverty and insecure future. The children, women and the aged are the worst victim of the scenario. There are few villages in these areas called “BIDHOBA-DER PALLY” (The Widow Locality). The name itself suggests the misery of the dwellers. It’s truly the struggle of human being for their survival. Extreme weather condition in monsoon period, salinity of ground water (as these areas are close to the Bay of Bengal), Cyclonic impact on assets and local resources, long distance from the town market (52km from canning) , landscape Separated by rivers are the other challenges that have quantified the rural life of Sundarban with extreme drudgery.

IHA Foundation has tried it’s best to assist and uplift these people. During the winter months we provided these widows whose husband’s were killed by the Tiger Attacks with Sari and Blankets along with other essential needs to nearly 200 of them and have ensured to make them self-sustaining in nature, so that they are now become capable of managing issues that encircles within the group and also resolve all conflict of interests by themselves without seeking any external help.