No fund yet to develop Sidr-hit Sundarbans

The Sundarbans Forest Division (SFD) is yet to get any allocation from the government for development and reconstruction works after Sidr caused extensive damage to the world's largest mangrove forest on November 15 last year.
The authorities concerned have so far made no positive response for implementation of the project of over Tk 42 crore undertaken by the Sundarbans Forest Division about nine months ago.
UNESCO provided authorities of the forest department with Tk 54 lakh only as financial assistance for carrying out ecological survey to assess extent of damages done to the Sundarbans by Sidr.
Sources in SFD said that Sidr had ravaged woodlands of 4,14,000 hectares of the Sundarbans having a total area of 6,17,000 hectares.
The sources further said Sidr had fully damaged about eight percent woodlands of the forest and partially damaged over 20 percent of the entire area.
Valuation of the total damages caused by Sidr to biodiversity of the forest was estimated at over Tk 1000 crore.
The sources also said that the eastern wing of the Sundarbans forest division was badly damaged than that of the western wing.