âWho ll rebuild our memories?â: Cyclones bring tragedy to this Sundarbans village
For the people of Kalidaspur, one of the furthest inhabited villages of the Sundarbans, Amphan is yet another chapter in a story of loss.
21 Dec, 2020
For about a week in May, Swatilata Mondal listened to government officials make announcements in her village of Kalidaspur, warning of an incoming storm. Kalidaspur is on the Choto Mollakhali island in the Sundarbans in West Bengal.
Swatilata shrugged off most of the warnings. After all, cyclones and coastal storms are a regular feature of living in the Sundarbans.
âI had survived Cyclone Aila,â she said. âWhat could have been worse than that?â
Cracks in the shield: How the Sundarbans is dying and making Bengal prone to cyclones
The deltaâs mangrove forests have historically protected the state from cyclones. But deforestation and climate change have taken a heavy toll.
Shambhavi Thakur
It was the evening of May 18, 2020. Bengal, like the rest of the world, was in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic. The Indian government had imposed a strict nationwide lockdown to contain its spread. As a result, most people were in their homes.
At 5.43 pm, hell broke loose, literally. Cyclone Amphan struck the stateâs shores, tearing a path of destruction.