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The history
of human settlement in the Sundarbans dates from the
treaty of
1757 signed by Mir Jafar, through which the lands of 24
Parganas were ceded to the East India Company, and
subsequently became the jagir of Lord Clive. This was
the beginning of a continuous reclamation of forest for
agriculture. The population of the Sundarbans is
heterogeneous, with a rich history of immigration
especially in the post-Independence era. The
process of uncontrolled population growth has reduced
the per capita cultivable land. It has also created
overcrowding and high rates of disguised unemployment in
agriculture as well as over-expansion of aquaculture and
brackish water shrimp farming. This has created a range
of ecological and socio-economic problems in the region,
leading to crisis in the livelihoods of the poor and
marginalized people.
As
per 2001 Census, the total population of the region was
about 37.56 lakh. The decennial growth rates registered
during 1971-1981, 1981-1991 and 1991-2001 were 21.47%,
29.55% and 17.4% respectively. The density of population
as per 2001 census was 845 per sq. km.
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One of the characteristic
statements used to describe the people of the Sundarban
is that 85% of the people depend on agriculture. The
proportion of the population without work in 1991 was
70% with only 3% in part-time or marginal employment and
27% in main employment categories. Of the main
employment, only 10% are employed in agriculture as
cultivators and another 10% as laborers.
To obtain employment,
local people migrate to access employment opportunities
within the Sundarban or in Kolkata. Gender difference in
workforce participation are high. Employment data
indicates a structural under-employment issue. Given the
existing structural nature of under-employment, this
remains one of the critical developmental issues and a
potential serious threat to future ecosystem integrity. |
environment to access land and natural
resources. The people of the Sundarban and the society
they form are as complex and dynamic as the ecological
system on which they depend. History informs us that
society has passed through many phases when society was
conquering the natural environment and overcoming the
the vulnerabilities encountered. Equally, history
highlights that there have been phases of abandonment
and loss as the forces of nature and economies prevail.