According to Mahatma Gandhi “the World is enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed”. In earlier times before 1775, the historic range and distribution of Indian Sundarbans was around 9500 sq.km. approximately. Then after, the forest reclamation was started in Sundarbans in the year of 1775 while the British Govt. has leased-out to 144 Jamindars against a certain amount of monthly revenue. This is just within 246 years; we have already lost 5000 sq.km. of Mangrove chunk due to massive deforestation for human settlement and expansion of agriculture. Actually, it continued till 1972. A large influx of Bangladeshi refugees has sheltered in and around the Sundarbans that time. On the other hand, the most valuable mangrove buffer has already suffered and is being suffering a huge loss and damage during this period. For an example, this can be projected that 5000 sq.km. of land is equivalent to 5:00 lakhs hectares. Moreover, mangrove stocking density is 4000 trees per hectare. So it can be assumed that, some 200 Cores trees we have already lost!! This is not only a nightmare to an environmentalist but is a severe environmental threat to all the mainland citizens of India, especially the ‘City of Joy’ –Kolkata. The city itself stands on a high risk zone due to the gradual disappearance of Sundarban Mangrove forest! A single oceanic trench or cyclone can play a devastating role for the city! It is worthwhile to mention, mangrove is the natural shield or buffer of the sea land interface. It protects the mainland from natural calamity and erosion of soil to a great extent. We should remember that and to act responsively to leave a cleaner, better and safer environment for our future generations. Obviously, there is no magic wand to overcome the situation overnight but our collective effort is badly needed to restore the sundarban as much as we can. You are a responsible citizen of India. So, we would like to invite you to join us in the battle and to donate funds for planting more and more mangrove trees in and around the Sundarbans, as a part of the restoration program. Donate rupees 1050 per month to plant 10 more trees at Sundarbans. Contact us to join in the battle.
According to the renowned philosopher Roman Grey, “there is nothing in Nature to prove that it cares more for human species than for daffodils. If the balance of Nature is threatened, she will always try to restore her balance at whatever the costs. If endangered by us, Nature will strike back and no more concern for Michel Angelo, Picasso or Rabindranath Tagore. Mother Nature has no favorite among the species, darling”. Respecting the statement, RBRF-Nature India Group is working hard and has already been considered a desperate stakeholder for environmental protection and ecological conservation, since 1989. We sincerely believe that there is an urgent need to launch a sustained mass awareness program on the ecological importance and conservation significance of a large number of indigenous wild species, before their gradual extinction! For an example, out of 431 mammals’ species of India, 206 species have already been classified either as endangered, vulnerable or threatened! Considering the ground reality, RBRF-Nature India Group have rescued and relocated few hundred wild animals; i.e. Leopard cub, Fishing cats, Leopard cats, Wild cats, number of Birds, Monitor Lizards, Turtles and also a large number of Snakes. Moreover, RBRF is frequent in organizing meetings, seminars and workshops in many places, especially in the schools. Apart from that, RBRF-Nature India Group also launched an e-journal, news managize, containing wildlife conservation issues worldwide. Presently the group is going to launch the biggest national e-portal of Wildlife (www.natureindian.org) . It would be around 20,000 pages and will cover all the forest and wildlife aspects of India, alongwith the conservation measures implied, internationally. RBRF has planned to boost the portal to one crore students and youth throughout the country, approaching their joining in the conservation battle. Undoubtedly, it's a challenging task, but achievable we believe. We invite you to come forward and support us and start donating INR 1050 per month, so that we can accelerate the process towards the goal setting, with your kind help and support.
Fishing is an age-old tradition of Sundarbans people, since time immemorial. A large number of villagers of India and Bangladesh Sundarbans are depending on fishing as their main source of income. This is mainly due to shortage of agricultural land which is basically single-cropped due to the salinity factor and irrigation is not possible. Per capita land availability in Sundarbans is very low in comparison to their national rural average. As A Result, they have been compelled to select such a life threatening profession in this tiger land! They are the frequenters in forest going mainly for fishing and honey collection, coupled with arrangements of firewood and some other non-timber forest products (NTFP). As ill-fretted as the poor villagers are facing tiger attacks and picked up either by tiger or crocodile, in a regular interval! Their families suffer terrible poverty due to the sudden death of their bread-earners. Their food, shelter, education and health go beyond questioning and this is unfortunate, there is no compensation system yet to be initiated by the Government!
Observing this ground reality, RBRF is the first non-profit organization who took initiative to conduct an intensive baseline survey to identify the tiger widows and to provide them minimum living support as per the FLI (Fundamental Living Index) guideline. This is surprising enough that the Indian Sundarbans is divided into 19 revenue blocks under two districts (N & S 24 Paraganas). Among which RBRF is concentrated on 1 of those blocks, named Gosaba. According to the RBRF survey there are some 300+ tiger widows who are living scattered in 50 numbers of villages of the Gosaba block itself. RBRF is providing them support with a tune of rupees 1000 per head per month. RBRF therefore, requires rupees 3:00 lacs per month to reach the goal and to continue this novel work for humanity.
You are a responsible citizen of India. We invite you to join us and to donate rupees 1050 per month, so that we can achieve the goal smoothly with your help and support.
This is unfortunate that some 1700 Fisher Women of Gosaba block, Indian Sundarban are leading miserable lives to manage a square meal per day! They are compelled to capture fish and crabs on the densely marshy rivulets and channels which are located at close proximity to the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR). As ill-fated as the women, are often killed by Tigers or fetched by the Crocodiles! RBRF the first, projecting their inexplicable misery which is a crucial social disparity. Many of them are suffering from several diseases, perhaps due to the submerged condition in saline water for several hours, yet not even earning Rs.50/60 a day! Hence, this is beyond questioning to restrict such dangerous fishing practices of the poor fisher women, without assigning them the alternative livelihood and adequate financial support, on which RBRF is working hard till today. An urgent need has been felt to rehab those poor Fisher Women of sundarban (FWS) from such a life threatening profession and to conserve the world's biggest mangrove tiger habitat from its gradual disappearance! RBRF is working hard for their site-specific skill development; i.e. Organic Agriculture, Organic Livestock Farming (Goat, Duck, Chicken) and Organic Cultured Fisheries (in place of capture fishery). From the long field experience, RBRF is confident that this is not a difficult task to generate alternative livelihoods for the entire community by considering its urban market potentials. Until and unless, we are achieving the goal to provide alternative livelihood to the poor fisher women of Sundarbans, maintaining a good relationship with them and this event is nothing but a goodwill gesture and gratitude to their prosperity which we are organizing with the help and support from few of the corporate houses and responsibly like minded citizens of India, like you. It’s really a challenging assignment to be a real ‘change maker’ of the society, but definitely an achievable target, RBRF believes. We invite you to come forward and join us at Sundarbans. Start donating INR 1050 per month, so that we can achieve the goal smoothly with your kind help and support.
